All images: Gavin Parsons / BDMLR
On Sunday 19 January, BDMLR was made aware of a dolphin in the River Fowey in southern Cornwall. There’s nothing too unusual about a dolphin being in the River Fowey as it empties into St Austell Bay, but this one was six miles inland just south of Lostwithiel, which was not normal.
“I was one of the first at the scene and found a lone common dolphin trapped in a deep pool in a bend in the river,” said BDMLR Director Gavin Parsons. “It was free swimming, but getting back to sea would be hard for the dolphin and there was a strong chance it would strand out of sight during the night.”
A team of specially trained Marine Mammal Medics and Vets was assembled. The river bank was cold, bleak and muddy, which made the rescue tricky, but a good plan was hatched and put into practice.
“Assessing the situation we considered the options available and likely outcomes,” said Director of Welfare and Conservation, Dan Jarvis. “The animal appeared to have gotten there due to being disoriented, so leaving it to find its own way out overnight would probably not end well. Herding it out with small craft similarly would probably not work well as it would have to have taken place after dark and could be more risky. The remaining alternative would be to physically relocate the dolphin from the river back to the coast, which had a more guaranteed opportunity for success,”
Forming a line in the river the team herded the dolphin into shallow water where they could capture it. BDMLR veterinary consultant Natalie Arrow then carried out a full examination to ensure it was healthy and fit for release. The animal, an adult female common dolphin, was in decent condition, was strong and therefore was deemed fit to be relocated.
The small harbour at Polkerris was chosen as it was easy to get to, would be sheltered and was open to St Austell Bay with a sandy beach which made a release possible.
Being January, it was dark when the team arrived at Polkerris. The dolphin was fitted with a satellite tag so it’s progress can be monitored and it was then carried into the sea. Once the water took the animal’s weight, the team started the release procedure. Within a few minutes the animal started to kick strongly and swam off strongly into the night. It was last seen heading out into St Austell Bay where we hope it reunites with its pod.
BDMLR would like to thank it’s Medic and Vet team for undertaking a successful rescue to allow the dolphin to swim freely again. It would also like to thank the Rashleigh Inn in Polkerris who were so supportive during the release.