Recently, British Divers Marine Life Rescue received reports of a dolphin found stranded on stones along a section of coastline near Dundee, Scotland.
The animal was stranded above the tide line, prompting members of the public to call the BDMLR hotline. Stranding on stones presents additional challenges as the uneven surface increases pressure on areas of the animal’s body and makes safe positioning difficult. As a result, careful handling and constant monitoring by a trained team is required.
Marine Mammal Medics attended alongside the HM Coastguard, where the animal was identified as a live 2.25m long common dolphin with no significant external injuries other than minor stranding-related grazing to the beak. Supportive care was begun by our Medics, including keeping the dolphin’s skin hydrated and placing them into our specialised pontoon system for stabilisation. The dolphin was calm, responsive, and assessed to be in overall good condition, with our veterinary team identifying that a refloat attempt was an appropriate course of action.
The dolphin was carefully moved on the pontoons towards the water and supported until it was able to regain its balance. After a short period of orientation, while still supported by the team, the dolphin showed clear signs of being capable of swimming strongly unassisted and was released, moving away from the shoreline before heading out into much deeper water.
Decisions to refloat cetaceans are based on the animal’s presentation and health, as well as the wider conditions at the time, and are only undertaken following careful welfare assessment. While each individual stranding incident that our Medics attend is different, welfare-led decision making all forms part of our structured approach to managing stranded marine mammals, with the primary goal of achieving the best possible outcome for the animal involved.
At this incident, fast acting by members of the public kept their distance and provided clear location details to our hotline. This enabled our team to attend quickly and find the dolphin easily. We are grateful for their ongoing support during the incident, as well as the HM Coastguard team who provided safety cover.
Support from the public directly helps BDMLR to continue responding to emergencies exactly like this, ensuring that entangled animals have the best possible outcome. Support real rescues such as this one – directly via our JustGiving: justgiving.com/charity/Bdmlr
