Bottlenose Dolphin Stuck In South Jersey Creek For Several Days

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, NJ — Officials are working to rescue a bottlenose dolphin that has been stuck in a Cape May County creek for nearly a week.

The dolphin was first reported stuck in the Cape May Court House creek on May 16, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

Since then, Marine Mammal Stranding Center staff and volunteers have been checking on the dolphin multiple times a day, they wrote in a Facebook post.

The team was out on the water in two boats on Saturday trying to encourage the dolphin to move out, but it wouldn't leave the immediate area, officials said.

"We are working on different plans of action, and this morning have received additional specialized equipment from one of our Stranding Network partners out of state," officials said. "Another rescue attempt has been planned to occur by the end of this week."

But stranding center officials won't share specific details or a timeline to prevent people from interfering or attempting their own rescue efforts.

"We are reminding the public that dolphins are Federally-protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act," officials said. "Please do not attempt to approach the dolphin as that will only further increase the stress on the animal and hamper rescue efforts."

This is not the first time a dolphin has gotten stuck in this section of the creek. A bottlenose dolphin was stuck there in August 2016, and was eventually rescued and returned to the bay.