Dolphin calf rescued and released

From: Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

SDRP Director Randy Wells provides an interesting glimpse into the difficulty of mounting a highly successful dolphin rescue (below). Usually dolphin rescues are not nearly this easy.

The life of a bottlenose dolphin calf was threatened by entangling fishing line. It was captured, freed of the line, and released 17 minutes later.
The calf had been observed on and off for more than 3 months with the line wrapped through its mouth and around its body. It was near St. Petersburg, FL Line tangling dolphin calf

Fishing line surrounded the calf’s body; a large wad of tangled line tethered to the calf's left side. Drawing by Ann Weaver.
(about a 90 minute drive north of the SDRP lab).
When the line didn’t come free on its own, it threatened the health of the calf, so NOAA officials requested that Randy lead a rescue effort in early November.
The subsequent rescue was publicized in widely – Randy even heard about it from a friend in Mozambique.


Coordinating the rescue was complicated because multiple agencies and organizations participated, a large crew was needed of experienced dolphin handlers who could be ready on 24 hour notice to travel to the boat launch site, good weather was important, and the dolphins needed to be sighted nearby on the previous day.
Oh, and there was no formal funding for the rescue effort, so it was a team of the willing and available.

The team consisted of participants from: the SDRP/CZS, NOAA/NMFS, FWC MMPL, Florida University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and the Florida Aquarium, as well as Dr. Ann Weaver, the researcher who originally documented the entanglement and monitored the calf, and Larry Fulford, a commercial fisherman with more than 27 years of experience with dolphin capture-release efforts.

When the rescue was over, the calf and mom were behaving normally. The wounds from the monofilament fishing line were deep, but the veterinarians were guardedly optimistic that the wounds would heal and the calf would survive.
Dr. Weaver will be on the watch to monitor the mom and calf as time goes on.

Read more here