Coastal Stewards Team Rescues Dolphin Calf

Credit: Coastal Stewards

(Press Release) ​Late last month, The Coastal Stewards team was part of a successful dolphin calf rescue in the Indian River Lagoon. Attached are photos from the rescue operation.
 
A dolphin calf, which was swimming with its mother, was reported by a paddleboarder in the Indian River Lagoon and discovered to have a fishing line tightly wrapped around its flipper and body. This posed a severe risk to the calf’s health.

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Due to the complexity, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, the organization responsible for responding to marine mammals along the Space Coast, assembled a specialized and experienced team from across the state. The team included: SeaWorld Orlando, NOAA Fisheries Service, National Marine Mammal Foundation, University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, and The Coastal Stewards. NOAA specifically called upon Dr. Shelby Loos, DVM, Director of Marinelife Conservation at The Coastal Stewards, to assist Dr. Michael Walsh, the operation's lead veterinarian from the University of Florida, in the dolphin calf disentanglement.
 
As part of the rescue, a specialized boat encircled the calf and its mother in a net while teams worked to carefully restrain the dolphins. Meanwhile, the veterinarians carefully monitored the mother and calf and successfully removed the fishing line and lure from the calf’s body and carefully unclipped the tightly constricting line from its pectoral flipper. Throughout the procedure, the mother was held facing the calf to keep the young dolphin as calm as possible. Once the disentanglement was complete, the pair was released back into the lagoon.
 
The fishing line had severely cut off circulation to the calf’s flipper, resulting in some tissue loss. However, dolphins are known for their remarkable ability to heal severe wounds in the wild, but only time will tell if the calf will be able to pull through. The mother was fitted with a radio-transmitting tag so that the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute can continue to monitor the pair to ensure their ongoing health and well-being.
 
Dr. Loos said: “This rescue highlights the importance of appropriately discarding fishing lines, nets, and gear. Marine debris not only threatens dolphins, we see this consistently in our sea turtle patients and marine debris affects countless other species within the ocean. By working together, we can prevent these tragedies through responsible fishing practices, reducing plastic use, and supporting conservation efforts. We hope this successful rescue inspires all of us to be better stewards of the sea to ensure a safer, cleaner, environment for all marine life.”
 
Please report any stranded, injured, entangled, or distressed marine dolphins, whales, manatees, or sea turtles to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline: 1-888-404-3922. Learn more about The Coastal Stewards at www.thecoastalstewards.org.  ​