NSRI Assists in Rescue of Beached Dolphins
Two dolphins that found themselves beached at Sandy Bay, near to Llandudno, have been returned to the ocean thanks to the combined efforts of the NSRI and other Cape Town organisations. An eye witness alerted the NSRI to the plight of the two dolphins on Thursday morning (today). The aquatic mammals were alive but appeared […]
Two dolphins that found themselves beached at Sandy Bay, near to Llandudno, have been returned to the ocean thanks to the combined efforts of the NSRI and other Cape Town organisations.
An eye witness alerted the NSRI to the plight of the two dolphins on Thursday morning (today). The aquatic mammals were alive but appeared to be in distress.
NSRI Bakoven’s deputy station commander David Rosenberg said TMNP (Table Mountain National Parks) rangers, SPCA Inspectors, and City of Cape Town Marine Animal Stranding Network (CTMASN) were activated and NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Bakoven duty crew were placed on alert.
NSRI launched a sea rescue craft and rescue swimmers set out.
“The services on the scene carried the dolphins into the surf, using specialised stretchers, where the dolphins were floated,” explained Roseberg. “They were apart at that stage and the members that were on the scene, in a joint effort, brought the two dolphins together by carrying them to a suitable place in the shallow surf where they floated together.”
The rescue swimmers then corralled both of the dolphins through the surf line, swimming them to deeper water, and at the backline breakers the dolphins were released in deeper water.
The NSRI Bakoven rescue craft, Gemini Legend, followed the dolphins for a while as they headed in the direction of Hout Bay.
“The dolphins appear to be healthy and swimming strongly,” said Rosenberg. “While we are cautiously optimistic that the rescue has been successful the coastline will continue to be monitored over the next few days, but hopes remain that the dolphins do not beach again.”