Dec 29 - Boxing Day Dolphin Rescue
Officers from the Department of the Environment and Climate Change were called out on Boxing Day to attend to a young striped dolphin which was in distress at Catalan Bay. When the officers arrived on scene, the young dolphin - believed to be around 4 to 5 years old - was being held on the southern end of Catalan Bay by members of the public who had braved the elements and gone into the sea to move the dolphin to a safe location as it was being thrust against the rocks by the waves. There had been previous attempts by a member of the public to guide the animal out to sea but this proved unsuccessful as a result of the bad weather.
The first officers on the scene implemented the dolphin rescue protocol and carried out an initial inspection of the animal that had numerous superficial wounds. Although showing signs of stress, the animal was breathing well and showed no life threatening injuries prompting the officers to release the animal as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, the sea conditions on the east side did not allow for a marine-based deployment. As the rest of the team arrived, the young people on the scene, who had now been in the cold sea for over an hour, assisted the officers in moving the dolphin which was taken to the Department’s marine base. HM Customs officers were quick to assist and the dolphin was released successfully in one of HM Customs’ RHIBs. The Department continued to monitor the dolphin after its release to ensure it was coping well.
The Department says it would like to thank all members of the public who reported the incident and took responsible action to save the dolphin's life and assisted the Department in the rescue.
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