It might look like a crime scene, but the dead dolphin found wrapped up in a bed sheet in a Mandurah carpark near Mariners Cove boat ramp on Tuesday afternoon didn’t die in mysterious circumstances.
Mandurah Dolphin Research Project scientist Kirsta Nicholson said the dolphin was first seen and reported stranded on boundary island by a member of the public.
The research group attended and found the dolphin dead and in process of decomposition.
They retrieved the carcass from the water and took it to the Mariners Cove carpark, where they determined a necropsy was impossible due to the high state of decomposition.
After taking some measurements for identification the group reported the carcass to the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW) for disposal, leaving it covered in the carpark.
“I’m sorry the residents had to see that,” Ms Nicholson said.
“This one was a known Peel-Harvey dolphin called Lindy.
“It was the same calf that was stranded last summer that the young kids pushed to deeper into the water.”
Ms Nicholson said there wasn’t any obvious signs of why the dolphin would’ve died.
A spokeswoman from the City of Mandurah said the City had engaged a special team to dispose of the carcass following directions from DPAW.
By 4.30pm the dolphin had been removed from the carpark.