Team effort in dolphin rescue
Initially it was thought that the animal was a juvenile whale.
A RISSO’S dolphin which beached in Shelly Beach on Christmas Eve was rescued and taken back out to sea.
It was a real team effort, with NSRI, Netcare 911, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the SAPS (search and rescue) all involved.
The search and rescue divers initially attempted to swim the dolphin out to sea, but it beached again.
Attempts had also been made by bathers and fishermen to ‘float’ the dolphin back out to sea.
Finally, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife officials decided the best course of action was to release the dolphin a suitable distance offshore by taking it out on a boat.
The animal measured about 3.5 metres and at first was thought to be a juvenile pilot whale or a humpback whale, but was later correctly identified.
Risso’s dolphins are a pelagic species that are rarely seen inshore, and their diet is exclusively squid.
An Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesman said the older scratch marks on the animal’s body were likely to have been inflicted by encounters with squid rather than trauma from injury on the rocks.
It was hoped that the dolphin would survive. All those who assisted were thanked.
