Pod of 8 dolphins stranded on New Jersey beach

Eight dolphins that became stranded on Tuesday morning at a beach in Sea Isle City, New Jersey died despite rescue attempts. 

The eight dolphins were found along the beach near 50th and 52nd Street Beaches in Sea Isle City at around 11 a.m. by a local resident and his wife, who were enjoying the sight of the dolphins swimming in the water. 

"There was probably 50 dolphins just going back and forth all morning, and the next thing you know we saw some coming straight in," said Tim Ramsey. 

Two of the dolphins died right away, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC). Six others were being looked after by a veterinarian as police officers, nearby residents, and public works crew worked to get them back into the water and kept them damp with sheets and buckets of water. However, their conditions were “rapidly deteriorating.”

"The decision was made to humanely euthanize the dolphins to prevent further suffering, as returning them to the ocean would have only prolonged their inevitable death," the MMSC said in a statement.

The dolphins were taken to the New Jersey state lab for necropsies.  

"We share in the public's sorrow for these beautiful animals, and hope that the necropsies will help us understand the reason for their stranding," the MMSC said.