At around 8am on Monday 28 October a live stranded harbour porpoise was reported at Watergate Bay, Cornwall. A team of Medics from the area was mobilised with response equipment, however a further call was received to say that a member of the public was attempting to refloat it. Despite advice being given to instead support it in the shallows until the team and vet arrived, the porpoise had gone by the time the first Medics arrived.
The team split into pairs and began searching the long beach, hampered by poor visibility due to drizzle, mist and rough surf. As a couple more Medics arrived on the beach they met another member of the public who reported the porpoise restranded at the north end of the beach, much further away from the access point. He had tried to refloat it several times but it had been washed up again every time and was still there in the shallows with someone else.
The team were quick to get on scene and take control of the situation, bringing the animal on a tarpaulin higher up the beach and well away from the water so an assessment and first aid could be carried out safely. The 1.45m long female porpoise was in quite poor nutritional condition, weak and stressed with some abscess-like swellings on her tail flukes. She also vomited and had some brief convulsions. Based on this and the poor prognosis, the decision was made to relieve the animal of further suffering and she passed quickly while being supported by the team. The body has been taken for a post mortem examination with our colleagues at the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team to help us learn more about how she came to be in this state of health.
We would like to thank the staff at the Watergate Bay Hotel for their support, as well as the attending BDMLR team members dealing with this situation.
Photos: Dan Jarvis
