In a story bound to break the hearts of many, the lost dolphin that ended up in the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn has died. Its death was exacerbated by the freezing temperatures currently affecting New York.
The dolphin, first spotted in the canal around 9:30 a.m. on Friday, was announced dead around 6 p.m.
Onlookers gathered to watch the dolphin, which struggled to swim through the 1.8-mile-long canal, but could do nothing to help. Rescue efforts would have commenced too late - around 7 p.m., after high tide - and would have required the go-ahead from the National Marine Fisheries Service since dolphins are a protected species.
The Gowanus Canal is known for being a dump for industrial waste, and the water's condition certainly did not help the dolphin's predicament. As the day wore on, the dolphin had several close calls, including getting stuck behind a pipe, before it passed away. Eye witnesses report seeing the dolphin trying to rid itself of black sludge and even bleeding at a certain point.
The exact cause of death has not been determined, but the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation stated they will most likely be performing a necropsy, although they have no time frame at the moment. Dolphins tend to be social animals, and rescue workers will attempt to figure out why a single dolphin got separated so far from its pod.
This isn't the first marine animal to perish in the Gowanus. Six years ago, a 12-foot Minke whale which earned the nickname Sludgie died after rescue efforts failed to make headway after two days.
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