$20,000 reward offered after dolphin found dead with head missing near North Carolina coast

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WNCN) — Federal marine law enforcement is investigating after a dolphin was found dead with its head cut off along the North Carolina coast.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a person reported on April 15 seeing a dead dolphin stranded on Lea-Hutaff Island, a remote, undeveloped barrier island just north of Wilmington.

Scientists with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, which is a part of a national program that coordinates emergency responses to sick, injured, distressed or dead marine mammals, quickly responded to the location.

When authorities arrived on the island, they discovered the 8-foot dolphin had been “intentionally mutilated and its head removed,” NOAA officials said. The scientists determined that the bottlenose dolphin was decapitated sometime between April 16 and April 18.

The NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement is now asking for help to identify those involved, offering a reward of up to $20,000 for information that leads to either a criminal conviction or the assessment of a civil penalty. 

“This animal was intentionally decapitated, a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act,” NOAA officials said in a news release on May 12. “The remote location where the dolphin was found adds to the difficulty of investigating this incident and cause of death. We are calling on your help to find those responsible.”

Violations can be prosecuted civilly or criminally, and are punishable by up to $100,000 in fines and up to one year in jail for each violation.

The university suspects the animal carried bacteria that cause brucellosis, an infectious disease that can be transferred to humans through direct contact, NOAA officials said. Scientists performed an animal autopsy on the dolphin, but complete results and the cause of death are pending.

Officials said anyone with information about this incident should call the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964.

People can leave tips anonymously, but to be eligible for the reward, they must include their name and contact information.