Dolphin Dies in Polluted New York Canal

A wayward dolphin that swam into a polluted canal on Friday died before high tide, according to reports.

The New York Daily News explains that because the Gowanus Canal is so polluted, it would imperil any humans who went into the water.

Marine experts had hoped high tide, beginning around 7:10 p.m., would help the dolphin leave the canal safely. But the dolphin was confirmed dead shortly before then, said the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, which didn't know how it died.

So for hours, footage from TV news helicopters showed the dolphin in the canal and humans watching hopelessly.

"Unfortunately, all we can do is watch and wait for the tide to rise, so the animal can get out on its own," Robert DiGiovanni, senior biologist at the Riverhead Foundation, told the Daily News. "It's not safe for us to get people in the water."

The dolphin, which appeared to be about 7 feet long, surfaced periodically and shook black gunk from its snout in the polluted water.