- February 28, 2025
Another dead dolphin washed ashore Tuesday in Ormond Beach. Officials can't yet confirm the cause of death.
BY EMILY BLACKWOOD | STAFF WRITER
Another deceased dolphin washed ashore Tuesday evening, in Ormond Beach, according to Capt. Tammy Marris of the Volusia County Beach Patrol. The dolphin was reported to be 7 feet long and was found in the 1700 block of North Ormond.
Marris couldn't confirm the cause of death, but she said that the Volusia County Marine Mammal Stranding Team and Hubbs Sea World will be performing necropsies on the dolphin.
The Observer confirmed last month that morbillivirus, closely related to the measles virus in humans, killed a different dolphin in Ormond Beach. An outbreak of that virus first began on Nov. 9, in Flagler County.
Blair Mase, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration southeast marine mammal stranding coordinator, stated in the November article that, though not all of the dolphins found are stranding from the virus, 90% have tested positive.
According to Mase, the outbreak is expected to last through April and has already recorded more than 800 dolphin strandings along the United States' east coast.
It is unknown at this time if morbillivirus is the cause of Tuesday's dolphin death.
