Following its competent, highly publicised but sadly unrewarding attempt to save a whale trapped in London’s Thames River, British Divers Marine Life Rescue has again faced unusual circumstances in freeing a dolphin from Maryport, in Cumbria.

A juvenile male bottlenose dolphin had managed to get into Maryport’s marina but could not get out. It would not traverse the lock gate at the marina’s entrance, which has a drop of about 4m to the sea.

In late January, BDMLR first attempted to shepherd the animal over the gate by creating a wall of bubbles using a custom-made device. Unfortunately, the dolphin preferred to swim back through the bubbles than take the leap of faith.

On 30 January, BDMLR elected to capture the dolphin for manual release, overseen by a vet, into the sea. Permission was obtained to keep the lock gates open as the tide went out, so that the marina water level fell to about 1m.

Rescuers could then wade out, surround the dolphin and place him in a stretcher. The animal was craned onto a trailer, transferred to a waiting boat and taken out to sea for release.

In poignant contrast to the Thames whale story, which included unconfirmed reports of a second whale cruising about down-estuary of the Thames Barrier, as though waiting in vain for the trapped animal, the Maryport dolphin too had another of his kind to meet up with. This time the ending could not have been happier.

BDMLR has reported that, after the released dolphin had dived and resurfaced a few times, rescuers were taken by surprise by the quick appearance of a second dolphin.

It was like a “Hollywood ending”, said BDMLR, as the pair swam off together in the direction of deep water and freedom.

Related links
London whale rescue attempt
BDMLR website



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