8 dolphins die after getting stranded on Jersey Shore beach

A pod of eight dolphins died after they became stranded on a Jersey Shore beach Tuesday morning, officials said.

Two of the marine mammals died when officials arrived at the Sea Isle City beach, according to New Jersey’s Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

The six others, whose conditions were “rapidly deteriorating,” were assisted by a veterinarian before a decision was made to euthanize them “to prevent further suffering, as returning them to the ocean would have only prolonged their inevitable death,” the organization said.

The bodies of the eight dolphins were transported to a lab for necropsies.

“We share in the public’s sorrow for these beautiful animals, and hope that the necropsies will help us understand the reason for their stranding,” MMSC said.

Last week, a dead dolphin washed up at a New Jersey marina, the sixth deceased one found on the state’s shores in less than a month.

In addition to the spate of dolphin deaths, 11 whale carcasses have reportedly washed up on the New Jersey-New York coast since early December.