Little Boy Surprised By Dolphin in Cumberland County, NJ

This isn't the first time a dolphin has lost its way in the backwaters of South Jersey. Every time, though, we can't help but get nervous.

In case you're not aware... dolphins DO NOT do well when exposed to freshwater for a prolonged period of time.

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It's common for dolphins to find themselves at the mouth of South Jersey's tributaries and rivers, but it can mean big trouble when they swim upstream and worse, stay there.

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Dolphins Can't Stay In Freshwater

Multiple sources confirm that prolonged exposure to freshwater can be harmful to bottlenose dolphins for quite a few reasons.

For one, it can cause serious issues on the skin. Skin lesions can form due to the potential osmotic imbalances that can form in dolphins. It's due to a condition called Freshwater Skin Disease that presents itself after an extended period of low salinity water exposure.

Dolphin Spotted In Maurice River Township

That's why it's SO important that someone helps the dolphin recently spotted in a tributary in Delmont section of Cumberland County in Maurice River Twp. A little boy was driving in the car with his mom, Tangi Errickson, when he shouted that he saw fins pop up out of the water.

Tangi turned the car around and, sure enough, she was able to capture footage of a bottlenose dolphin swimming around in the shallow waters.

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Luckily, she knew exactly what to do. She called the marine Police in Port Norris who advised her that the Marine Mammal Stranding Center had been made aware of the situation.

Sadly, as of Sunday, 6/8, the dolphin was still in the water. Sources have leaked that there are plans in place to attempt to move the dolphin back to the ocean on Wednesday.