The dolphin spotted in Waccamaw River last week was found dead

The dolphin seen swimming in the Waccamaw passed away sometime between when it was last seen on Sunday and Tuesday morning.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Wildlife Biologist Wayne McFee said Coastal Carolina University Professor Robert Young found the adult dolphin dead on Tuesday. The dolphin will transported to the a NOAA facility in Charleston to learn more about why the it died.

The dolphin was first spotted swimming in the freshwater Waccamaw last week miles past Conway. Sitings continued through the weekend, with videos of the sea mammal going viral online.

On Monday, McFee said there were concerns about the health of the dolphin given its pale skin. Dolphins’ skins are used to being in saltwater and can break down when in freshwater.

Dolphins can go into freshwater for short amounts of time, but this dolphin was much farther inland than they typically are spotted.

According to NOAA, rescuing a fast-moving dolphin can be difficult, and it is an expensive process that can be dangerous. The agency was still trying to isolate a specific location for the animal when it was discovered dead.

This story was originally published April 9, 2019 at 10:51 AM.