Dead dolphins, diseased seals wash up on US shores

Over the past two months, dozens of dead dolphins have washed ashore in Florida and hundreds of diseased seals have died in the northeastern United States, officials said Friday.

The unusual wave of deaths has prompted officials to declare two separate, special investigations to find out why, and how to stop it.

From July 1 to August 30, a total of 48 dolphins have been found dead in southwest Florida, as a harmful algae bloom known as red tide killed hundreds of tons of fish from Naples to Tampa, said the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Only one dolphin has been stranded alive since early July. It is currently being treated in rehabilitation. Typical dolphin strandings in the region usually number three to four per month.