A resident dolphin at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota has passed away.
The male pantropical spotted dolphin named Moonshine died Tuesday morning.
Moonshine was found stranded on the beach in 2003 in the Florida Keys with a severe sunburn.
After several months of treatment by the Marine Animal Rescue Society of Miami, he was brought to Mote Marine Laboratory’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital for additional treatment.
Although Moonshine's sunburn eventually healed following treatment at Mote, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, which oversees the protection and care of wild marine mammals, deemed him to be non-releasable because of abnormalities in his liver and his young age, and asked Mote to provide Moonshine a life-long home.
Throughout his stay at Mote, Moonshine received top-notch care from their veterinary team.
Each day, he participated voluntarily in training sessions that helped his health care run more smoothly, and allowed staff to learn more about his species.
Mote’s veterinary team says a few days ago, Moonshine seemed uninterested in eating. Early Tuesday morning, his health took a sudden downward turn and he was unable to recover.
Moonshine’s cause of death is unknown at this time. A necropsy, or animal autopsy, and additional tests are being conducted to help staff learn more.
Moonshine’s species, the pantropical spotted dolphin, normally lives offshore in deep water and is very rarely found in human care.
As a result of Moonshine’s death, Mote Aquarium’s dolphin lagoon area in the Marine Mammal Research and Rehabilitation Center will remain closed to visitors for the rest of the week.
Donations can be made in memory of Moonshine to Mote’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital. Your support will help Mote continue its vital efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and release wild marine mammals.
Visit www.mote.org/donate, click “Donations” and select “Dolphin and Whale Hospital.”