Paoay: A stranded sub-adult Risso's dolphin, identified as 'Marcu,' died on Monday, four days following its rescue from the coast of Barangay Masintoc in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. Vanessa Abegail Dagdagan-Alimbuyuguen, the provincial fishery officer of Ilocos Norte, confirmed to the Philippine News Agency that the dolphin died at 7:12 am and was subsequently taken to the Mariano Marcos State University-College of Veterinary Medicine for a necropsy.

According to Philippines News Agency, efforts to save the dolphin were conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, in collaboration with Mariano Marcos State University (MSSU), the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network (PMMSN), and local government units. The dolphin was named 'Marcu' as a nod to March, the month it was rescued, and Culili Point of Masintoc, the location of the rescue.

In a bid to enhance future rescue efforts, a memorandum of agreement for the development of a rehabilitation facility for marine mammals is under review. This initiative is in partnership with MSSU and the Office of Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Angelo Marcos Barba.

Marine mammal strandings have become increasingly common along the nation's coastlines. The PMMSN identifies the Badoc-Currimao grid in Ilocos Norte as a significant stranding hotspot in the Philippines. An infographic from the University of the Philippines' Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology provides guidelines for marine mammal emergency response. It advises responders to approach stranded animals with caution, ensure their blowholes are protected, and keep their skin moist, among other recommendations to minimize stress and injury to the animals.