Why a dolphin seen swimming in the Waccamaw may be in danger

A dolphin was spotted this weekend in the Waccamaw River well past Conway, beyond where the sea mammal typically swims, and the animal might be in trouble.

David Covington was out fishing last Wednesday with a friend when he saw first saw the dolphin at a distance in the freshwater river. He said he had never seen one that far inland and was shocked to see it near his boat.

“I saw a big splash and I was like there is a dolphin,” he said. “Fifteen minutes later we got to see it again.”

Covington and others posted videos throughout the weekend of the dolphin. The videos quickly went viral as people marveled at the dolphin in freshwater. Captain Roy Pinson of First Strike Charters said he saw it as recently as Sunday just north of Old Reaves Ferry Boat Landing.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Wildlife Biologist Wayne McFee said while dolphins sometimes go into freshwater for food, it is concerning to see a pale dolphin so far inland.

“Today I got the call it is where it is, that’s a little more concerning,” he said. “If the dolphins stay in completely fresh water for too long, their skin can get really pale, it’ll start to break down to and start to cause lesions, infections and sometimes death.”

According to McFee, this process can take weeks or months. While there isn’t an exact answer for why the skin breaks down, it has to do with the dolphin’s body being adapted to salt water, he said.

McFee said a Coastal Carolina University professor will go looking for the dolphin to get more information on its condition. Based off reports of the dolphin’s conditions, there might be a rescue.

Rescuing a fast-moving dolphin can be difficult, and it is an expensive process that can be dangerous.

“Right now we’re trying to get as much information as we can,” McFee said. “We need to get more photographs, we need to know can we site that dolphin on a regular basis. It sounds like we can with this animal.”

The adult dolphin could still quickly get back to the Winyah Bay near Georgetown and then out to sea. The concern is whether it keeps heading inland or stays where it is, McFee said.

If you see the dolphin, try to keep a distance from it as to not further harm the animal, he said.

“The more people we have getting close to it, the more stressed out the animal will be. It’s already an environment it shouldn’t be in,” he said.