Featured Image Credit: Georgia Aquarium
By Eva Gruber
Earlier this week, a bottlenose dolphin calf was spotted struggling to keep up with its mother near Daytona Beach, Florida. Observers reported the problem to the authorities and a team from the Georgia Aquarium Conservation Field Station were the first on the scene to address the situation.
Upon finding the calf, the problem became clear – and it was an all-too-common threat to marine life. The calf was heavily entangled in marine debris, which caused it to struggle to keep afloat and alongside its mother.
Partners from SeaWorld, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute, and Volusia County Environmental Management met to discuss options for disentangling the calf. With a plan in mind on Wednesday, the team of experts located the animals in Mosquito Lagoon and prepared for action.
With approval from NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Program (MMHSRP), partners from the team were able to safely approach and handle the dolphins.
Marine mammal veterinarians were then able to evaluate the dolphin calf and assess its injuries. The calf appeared to be about 13 months old. Thankfully, it seemed healthier than its initial appearance, which assured a more positive outcome. Specialists were able to remove fishing line from the calf’s tail flukes and dorsal fin, which had cut like a knife into the young dolphin’s flesh. They were able to clean the wounds and administer antibiotics to fight a potential infection.
After its careful treatment by expert handlers, the 13-month old calf was released back into the waters of the Indian River Lagoon. A rod and reel was found at the same location where the calf was handled, and it’s possible that it was the source of the line that the calf had become entangled in. This would mean that the calf had been swimming about not only entangled, but also dragging the rod and reel as well – a significant encumbrance for any young animal.
While this story had a positive outcome, it is a story that is becoming more and more common, though there are not as many happy endings. Marine debris, fishing gear in this case, is a serious threat to marine life around the world. This discarded gear continues to “ghost fish,” especially modern gear made from synthetic materials or metals, and can do so for years or even decades, killing countless marine creatures.