Ilocos Norte: The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Ilocos Norte is looking for volunteers willing to help rehabilitate a stranded dolphin that washed ashore in this municipality on April 30.

According to Philippines News Agency, the juvenile spotted dolphin, named "April," is currently being rehabilitated in the shallow waters of Poblacion with a makeshift tent along the Currimao seawall. Vanessa Abigail Dagdagan, the provincial fishery officer, mentioned in a phone interview that April requires supportive care to aid her recovery. The dolphin, found by fisherfolk on Pangil beach, has lost her balance and buoyancy.

An initial assessment by Dr. Roco Gearhart from the Mariano Marcos State University's College of Veterinary Medicine revealed that April has lesions on her rostrum and visible scratches across her body. She also shows symptoms of diarrhea, dehydration, and possible acoustic trauma.

Earlier Friday, Dagdagan reported the discovery of another dolphin, similar in size to April, found dead along the Pangil shoreline. Erickson Biag, the municipal agriculturist, noted that a necropsy analysis is anticipated within the day to ascertain the cause of death.

BFAR records indicate that four marine animals have been stranded or beached in coastal villages of Navotas and Caaoacan in Laoag City, and Pangil, Currimao since March. Lemnuel Aragones, head of the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network, previously explained that marine animals washing ashore in good body condition might be affected by acute factors like blasting, which disrupts their acoustic sensors, leading them to swim straight until they reach the beach.

The Ilocos Region has been identified as a hotspot for dolphin and whale strandings over the past 15 years.