Deafness may be the main reason.
SARASOTA - Dolphins are beautiful creatures, but mysterious, and perhaps no mystery is greater than why each year a small number of dolphins beach themselves, usually fatally.
Now a Mote Marine scientist thinks he has found at least part of the answer: Deaf dolphins.
Randy Wells, who helped author a study about dolphin strandings, said most dolphins that beach themselves have at least partial hearing loss.
The answer isn't as surprising as it seems, Wells said.