3/11/09: "Willis" is a male pantropical spotted dolphin was found stranded on Longboat Key Wednesday morning, March 11, 2009, by beachgoers and staff at the Longboat Key Club. The dolphin was brought to Mote for a medical evaluation and treatment and considered in critical condition. 3/11/09 (p.m.): The dolphin died during the evening. Mote staff will perform a necropsy to try to determine a cause of death. As with all wild animals, understanding the factors that affect their lives and their deaths can be difficult and sometimes clear cause-and-effect relationships are unknown.