Bottlenose Dolphin Stranding - Maputo National Park

Dolphin Team
Jul 11
1 min read

Press Release: Bottlenose Dolphin Stranding Incident at Maputo National Park

For Immediate Release: July 10, 2025

Contact: Angie Gullan, Dolphin Encountours Research Center (DERC), angie@dolphincare.org

Ponta do Ouro, Maputo National Park – On July 9, 2025, at approximately 3:00 PM, DERC received a report of an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) stranding on the beach at Ponta do Ouro, Maputo National Park.

The dolphin was reportedly re-floated by bystanders and a team was dispatched to monitor the area. No dolphin was sighted at the time, and it was assumed to have moved offshore.

At 8:15 PM, Filimon, a ranger from Maputo National Park, delivered the dolphin’s body to Angie Gullan, founder of DERC. The young male dolphin, estimated to be approximately 7 years old and measuring 190 cm in length, was known to Angie since 2023.

On the morning of July 10, 2025, a team of volunteers, overseen by Angie Gullan, conducted an external examination of the dolphin to collect data on size, body condition, sex and parasites. Blubber and skin samples were collected and frozen for further analysis. The dolphin appeared to be in good condition, with no external lesions except for both old and new rake marks. No visible parasites were observed. Dolphin Encountours continues to monitor and study the local dolphin population to better understand such incidents and promote conservation efforts in the region.