Dolphin Rescues

Bottlenose dolphins are threatened by monofilament or braided fishing lines in the water, and by crab trap float lines.  In 2011, operating at the request of Federal authorities, staff from the SDRP led or participated in 3 rescue attempts involving entangled dolphins. Most often, a dolphin requiring a rescue is entangled, and its swimming movements are restricted.

Often, lines cut deeply into the animals creating visible wounds that may become infected.Synthetic fishing lines, especially some of the newer stronger designs  are surprisingly sharp and dangerous when they come into contact with a dolphin’s soft skin.  An article summarizing dolphin rescue attempts from 2006-2011 is included in the recently published Nicks_n_Notches   newsletter (pdf).

While the need for a rescue attempt is often caused by fishing lines or rope, which is cutting through the skin, but in the case of Scrappy, it was a Speedo swim suit that caused life-threatening wounds.  The goal of a rescue is to free the dolphin from the threat, and each case is different.  Occasionally, as in the case of FB28, the line can be cut with a long handled tool from a boat, without requiring capture.

If capture is needed, however, the ideal solution is to briefly capture the dolphin, free it from the threatening condition(s), and release it after examination by a marine mammal veterinarian. If necessary, the rescue team must be prepared to transport the dolphin to Mote Marine Laboratory’s Dolphin Hospital for rehabilitation, and hopefully eventual release.


As you might imagine, putting a dolphin rescue together is quite a task. Multiple boats, a dolphin catcher (using a 500 meter long net), and 25 or more staff and experienced volunteers must be gathered on short notice.
Sometimes the rescue crews will spend fruitless days on the water searching for the threatened dolphin, while very occasionally everything comes together and a successful rescue can be accomplished in a matter of hours.

Some dolphins, such as FB28, Scrappy, and Nellie are sighted for years after the rescue, but as detailed in the link above, the outcome is not always so positive.
Partial funding for past rescue operations has been provided by support from NOAA, but these funds are no longer available. Funding for future rescues will have to be obtained through individual donations.

Source: Sarasota Dolphin Research Program