A rough-toothed dolphin has been euthanised after beaching itself near the rockpool at the Strand in Townsville.
A member of the public advised the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) that the dolphin stranded around 2:45pm on Wednesday 7 May 2025.
The dolphin was in poor condition and following a health assessment by a veterinarian, a decision was made to euthanise the animal.
Project Manager Tina Alderson said marine animal strandings occurred along Queensland's vast coastline, and DETSI had added a new function to the QWildlife app that allowed people to report strandings.
"Marine animals strand for several reasons including age, illness, disease, injuries from predators or boat strikes and entanglement in fishing equipment," Ms Alderson said.
"Strandings such as these are sad and can impact on local communities. I encourage everyone who lives or visits Queensland's coastal communities to download the QWildlife app.
"A necropsy will be conducted on the dolphin to help determine the reasons it stranded and the results could take several weeks."
Fast facts – rough-toothed dolphins:
- Usually found in deep warm and tropical waters around the world
- They have a narrow beak and rough teeth with narrow, irregular ridges
- Adults can grow to 2.8m in length and weigh up to 155kg, with males being larger than females
- Older individuals have distinctive pinkish, white or yellow markings on their underside
- Their diet consists mainly of fish
- Their dorsal fin can be almost 30cm long
The QWildlife app can be downloaded by visiting the app store or Google Play.
