Photos: Baby Dolphin Rescued From Fishing Line

A rescue effort of monumental proportions recently unfolded off Florida’s eastern coast.

It seems a dolphin calf with a snout entangled in monofilament fishing line was spotted by a couple out on the waters off Fort Pierce back in January. Concerned about the critter’s well-being, the couple reported the sighting to Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, CNN reported.

The institution, in turn, set out to find the calf and its mother. And, find the pair they did. They also photographed the calf and sent the images to the NOAA Fisheries for review.

Those images, courtesy of the institution, are what ultimately sparked a massive search and rescue mission involving multiple agencies, nearly three dozen people and hours of effort, the network reported.

It seems NOAA is unable to rescue every dolphin that comes in contact with fishing lines, but it will mobilize in a big way when a life is threatened, WFLA reported. That was the case with this particular calf, whose snout was so tightly wound, the monofilament wire was cutting to the bone.

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Once a rescue was deemed necessary, a number of groups pitched in to find the mother dolphin and her endangered son. It took about two days to locate the pair, both news outlets reported. Once found, about an hour was spent freeing the baby and making sure both were in good condition for release.

Organizations that pitched in to help with the rescue included the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA, Hubbs Sea World, SeaWorld, the University of Florida and others, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute posted on its Facebook page following the rescue.

Run-ins between dolphins and people are not at all uncommon in Florida waters. From the Gulf of Mexico into the Atlantic, sightings are fairly commonplace, but they do pose dangers for dolphins, NOAA points out. That agency has created a guide to help make fishing and viewing more dolphin-friendly. For more information on protecting these creatures while sharing the water with them, check out NOAA’s tips online.

Photos from Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Facebook page

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