Striped dolphin known to frequent tropical regions washes up on Hampton Beach in New Hampshire

HAMPTON, N.H. — A striped dolphin known to frequent tropical regions recently washed up on Hampton Beach, according to the Seacoast Science Center.

The striped dolphin, or Stenella coeruleoalba, was a female weanling that was found dead on Hampton Beach on Friday, July 14, the center’s Marine Mammal Rescue team said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

“Since we began responding in 2014, our rescue team has never before seen this species of dolphin,” the team said.

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Striped dolphin known to frequent tropical regions washes up on Hampton Beach in New Hampshire (Seacoast Science Center)

The Hampton Beach Lifeguards - NH State Beach Patrol first spotted the dead dolphin and reported it to the Seacoast Science Center, the team said.

“Although the dolphin had no visible external wounds initially, seagulls had unfortunately scavenged its head between the time of the report and our response,” the team said.

The team collected on-site swabs to check for disease, and brought the dolphin’s body to the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for a necropsy to determine the cause of death.

“This response was especially unique as striped dolphins are a deep-water species that prefers temperate and tropical regions,” the Marine Mammal Rescue team said. “These highly social animals are mainly found in offshore waters located over continental shelves, traveling in large pods of 25-100 individuals. Although striped dolphins are some of the most abundant dolphins in the world, they are not considered resident species here in New England. Striped dolphins will occasionally venture to our NH coasts during the summer months when the waters are warmer, however, seeing a striped dolphin stranded is uncommon for this species.”

Anyone who sees a dolphin, whale, seal, or porpoise, either alive or dead, on local beaches is urged to call the center’s hotline at 603-997-9448, and stay at least 150 feet away from the animal while waiting for emergency responders.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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