The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is awaiting necropsy results to determine what has led to a rash of dolphin strandings on local Orange County beaches over the past two weeks.
The test results will take about four to six weeks, said Krysta Higuchi, a spokeswoman for the Laguna Beach-based center.
The first three dolphins washed ashore on Feb. 4. One was found dead in Huntington Beach and two others were rescued in Laguna Beach but had to be euthanized later, according to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.
A female Bottlenose dolphin was found ashore at Corona del Mar on Feb. 10. On Feb 15, another dead female dolphin washed ashore at Corona del Mar. Both of those dolphins were pregnant at the time.
The most recent dolphin to wash ashore was a male Common dolphin found in Corona del Mar on Feb. 18.
“There have been no more since the 18th, which is a good thing,” Higuchi said.
The working theory is that stormwater runoff into the ocean from a “weak El Nino” is likely to blame.
Officials have also noted a recent harmful algae blooms along the coast, which can produce domoic acid, a deadly toxin that has long been the nemesis of sea lions in Orange County, Higuchi said.
The center has rescued nearly double the amount of sea lions this year compared with last year, Higuchi said. Last year at this time the center had rescued 12 sea lions, and this year the center has treated 20 stricken sea lions, she said.
Last year at this time, the center had only rescued one beached dolphin.
One beached dolphin washed back out right away and another washed up in an area that was unsafe for Marine Mammal Center rescuers to reach it.