Dolphin washes ashore in North Myrtle Beach area. What happened to it
A dolphin that washed ashore last week in the North Myrtle Beach area was suffering from pneumonia, a rescue group said.
The dolphin was on the beach in Briarcliffe Acres and was reported on Nov. 22, 2025, to the Lowcounry Marine Mammal Network, a Charleston-based nonprofit that protects marine mammals including dolphins, whales and seals in South Carolina waters.
It was the second dolphin reported that week to the group, according to Executive Director Lauren Rust. The other one washed ashore on Hilton Head Island.
The dolphin, with the help of local police, was loaded up and transported back to the organization’s facility for testing, Rust said. The strandings of the dolphins were not related, Rust said.
It appears the female juvenile dolphin in Briarcliffe Acres had pneumonia and a severe parasite load in her stomach, Rust said. Dolphins always have parasites, but if their immune systems are low, then parasites could take over, she added.
The dolphin looked okay, but she didn’t have any food in her stomach, which could indicate that she wasn’t eating because she wasn’t feeling well.
The organization usually responds to about 50-70 animals a year, Rust said. But the group has not been in the Myrtle Beach area in a while.
Tests are still being conducted on the dolphins. It appears that the dolphin in Hilton Head was in “good body condition and had recently eaten,” but results are still pending, the group’s Facebook post said.
If anyone does see a stranded marine mammal, either dead or alive, they can call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resource’s standing hotline at 800-922-5431.
