Featured Image Credit: SeaWorld
Remember the dolphin that SeaWorld Orlando’s Rescue Team saved at the end of last year in Sanibel, Flordia? Well we have an update!
SeaWorld took to Facebook to perform a hearing test and share the cetacean’s superior progress.
So what do we know? Glad you asked.
The male dolphin was found last November in critical condition on the coast of Sanibel. The SeaWorld Orlando Rescue Team rushed the dolphin to their facility so they could begin treatment ASAP. The team’s veterinarians administered fluids, antibiotics and completed a full health assessment with-in hours of the 12AM arrival. Thankfully the dolphin was a strong swimmer so a smooth recovery was expected.
What’s new? Well… SeaWorld is still searching for a reason behind the stranding, but thanks to a recent hearing test they can rule out one possibility. Loss of echolocation.
SeaWorld’s veterinary team helped a representative from NOAA perform the hearing test on the bottlenose dolphin. The test showed the dolphin CAN hear and the team is staying optimistic that he will continue to swim down this positive path. Since his arrival, the dolphin has been eating on his own and has shown a steady increase in weight, important steps in the total rehabilitation process.
What does hearing or echolocation have to do with the stranding? Well, according to the SeaWorld Cares blog, “Echolocation is a tool used by dolphins which helps them find food, navigate through their environment and socialize with other dolphins. Sounds pretty important, right? Well it is. Echolocation works by projecting high-frequency sound waves and listening for their echoes as the sound waves reflect off objects. The use of echolocation is crucial for dolphins’ survival in the wild.”
Um… we’d dolphin-ately say that’s important. Keep up the good work SeaWorld. Over 30,000 rescues strong.
If you see an injured marine animal, you can help by calling the Florida Marine Mammal Stranding Hotline at 1-888-404-3922.