Wayward Dolphin Dies in Toxic Gowanus Canal in New York

The animal was probably dying before making its way up the canal, but there's some deep irony here that the death happened in progressive, nanny-statist New York.

At the New York Post, "Dolphin stuck in Gowanus Canal dies."

More details at the Wall Street Journal, "Wayward dolphin dies in polluted New York canal":

The canal was named a Superfund site in 2010, meaning the government can force polluters to pay for its restoration. For more than a century before, coal yards, chemical factories and fuel refineries on the canal's banks discharged everything from tar to purple ink into the water, earning it the local nickname The Lavender Lake for its unnatural hue.

While the dolphin was churning up sediment and mud, it's unclear whether that contributed to its death, DiGiovanni said.

The dolphin, which appeared to be about 7 feet long, likely entered the canal from the Atlantic Ocean through the Lower and Upper New York Bays and then the Gowanus Bay, which leads to the canal. It's about 20 miles from the canal to open ocean.

Experts don't know why the dolphin wandered into the canal, but in general that can happen when one gets sick or disoriented, DiGiovanni said.

It's not uncommon for sea creatures to stray into city waters, though they don't often swim away alive.