Protect South Carolina Dolphins From Deadly Strandings

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Sponsor: Free The Ocean

Dolphins are washing up on South Carolina beaches with no help and no answers and without state action more will die before we understand what is poisoning and weakening our coastal waters.

Protect South Carolina Dolphins From Deadly Strandings

Along South Carolina’s coast, dolphins are washing ashore sick, injured, or dead. Most strandings involve single animals, but the pattern is steady year after year. Marine experts report that many dolphins die offshore and are carried in by tides and currents, leaving critical questions unanswered about what went wrong beneath the surface.1

Necropsies conducted by responders often reveal pneumonia, severe parasite loads, or signs of sudden internal failure. While dolphins naturally carry parasites, illness or environmental stress can allow those parasites to overwhelm the body. In some cases, dolphins appear well-fed and outwardly healthy, yet die abruptly from acute causes that remain difficult to pinpoint.12

Hidden Environmental Stress

Dolphins living close to shore face constant exposure to pollution and toxins. These contaminants accumulate in blubber over a lifetime and can weaken immune systems. During pregnancy and nursing, toxins may transfer from mother to calf, sometimes with fatal results. Responders note that young dolphins are especially vulnerable when environmental stress combines with disease.1

South Carolina typically sees dozens of dolphin strandings each year. While this is considered a normal baseline, experts warn that strandings remain one of the clearest indicators of ocean health. When dolphins struggle, it often reflects broader problems affecting fish stocks, water quality, and coastal ecosystems.2

Human Activity Increases the Risk

Boats and fishing gear remain among the leading human-related causes of dolphin deaths in South Carolina. Collisions occur most often in shallow tidal creeks and marsh edges where dolphins feed and socialize. Entanglements can lead to infection, starvation, or slow decline that ends with a dolphin stranded on shore.3

Some strandings are also linked to strand feeding, a unique hunting behavior practiced by Lowcountry dolphins. During this behavior, dolphins intentionally beach themselves to trap fish. Disruption from people or vessels can interfere with their ability to return safely to the water, increasing the risk of injury or death.4

Why South Carolina Must Act

Much of the response to stranded dolphins is carried out by nonprofit organizations that rely heavily on volunteers and limited donations. These teams perform rescues, necropsies, and data collection that are essential to understanding disease, pollution, and emerging threats. Without stable funding and statewide coordination, many strandings go undocumented and lessons are lost.12

South Carolina’s dolphins are not just icons of the coast. They are sentinels for the health of the ocean we all depend on. A funded, statewide Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program would improve rescue efforts, strengthen data collection, and help prevent future losses.

Add your name to urge state leaders to fund a statewide Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program. No dolphin should die without help, answers, or accountability.

More on this issue:

  1. Fallon Mears, ABC News 4 (2 December 2025), “Two dolphins found stranded on South Carolina beaches; necropsies reveal potential causes.”
  2. Nicole Ziege, Post and Courier (4 December 2025), “2 dolphins were recently stranded on SC's coast. But experts say don’t panic.”
  3. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (18 March 2022), “Boat carefully around South Carolina's marine mammals.”
  4. Cheryl Lyn Dybas, Oceanography (13 December 2021), “High-Stakes Mudbank Chase: At Low Tide, US Southeast Dolphins ‘Beach’ Their Prey.”

The Petition

To the Governor of South Carolina and members of the State Legislature,

South Carolina’s coast is home to vibrant dolphin populations that play a vital role in the health of our marine ecosystem. Yet these animals are facing growing threats from disease, pollution, habitat disruption, and environmental stress. Each year, dozens of dolphins strand along our shores, many dying without timely care or a clear understanding of why they perished.

At present, much of the responsibility for responding to stranded or dead dolphins falls on nonprofit organizations such as the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network. These groups perform rescues, conduct necropsies, and collect critical data—often with limited funding, small staffs, and volunteers stretched thin. While their work is essential, it should not be shouldered alone.

We respectfully urge you to establish and fund a statewide Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program. This program would strengthen South Carolina’s ability to protect dolphins and other marine mammals while advancing public health, environmental stewardship, and scientific understanding.

Dedicated funding is needed to support dolphin rescue and necropsy work. Every stranding offers insight into disease outbreaks, toxin exposure, fishing gear impacts, and changing ocean conditions. Without reliable resources, these insights are lost, leaving critical questions unanswered.

Resources for rapid response teams across the coast are equally vital. Dolphins often strand in remote or fast-changing environments where time is critical. Properly equipped teams can reduce suffering, improve survival for live animals, and ensure safe, professional handling of deceased ones.

A centralized reporting and data collection system would allow South Carolina to identify trends, detect unusual mortality events, and respond proactively rather than after losses escalate. Consistent data strengthens decision-making at every level.

Public education must also be part of this effort. Clear guidance for beachgoers on how to respond to stranded marine mammals protects both wildlife and the public, reducing harm caused by well-meaning but uninformed actions.

Care and stewardship of marine life are responsibilities that extend beyond conservation. Dolphins are indicators of ocean health, and their decline signals risks that can affect fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities.

By funding a statewide Marine Mammal Stranding Response Program, South Carolina can safeguard its marine wildlife, support science-driven solutions, and invest in a healthier future for its coast. These actions will ensure a better future for all.

Sincerely,

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