Volunteers in St. Petersburg, Florida, are being lauded for a job well done after helping a group of dolphins find their way out of a canal and back toward their home in more open waters.
“We had two pairs of dolphins, mom-calf pairs, that were swimming around in this canal behind me,”Clearwater Marine Aquarium‘s Chuck Whitesaid in a video postedto the aquarium’s YouTube channel on Wednesday, gesturing toward the canal near Fossil Park in St. Petersburg.
“We had received calls over the last day or two about dolphins here in this canal. It is very low salinity, so long term, itwould not have been a good situationfor them,” he added.
White explained that along the canal are “a couple bridges that kind of seemed to become a barrier” for the four dolphins, “to keep them from being able to get back out to Tampa Bay.”
Dolphins in St. Petersburg, Florida, canal.Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Dolphin rescue in St. Petersburg, Florida, canal.Clearwater Marine Aquarium
Dolphin rescue in St. Petersburg, Florida, canal.
Inthe CMA’s video, FWC biologist Andy Garrett explained to the gathered group of volunteers that their objective would be “to try to encourage [the dolphins] with a human chain of people slowly moving up the canal as a barrier [to say], ‘Hey, this noisy barrier’s coming your way, and [the other direction is] the way to get out.’ ”
“We’re able to keep that chain together,” Garrett told CNN of the Tuesday rescue mission. “The dolphins were interested, they actually came over right away, and kind of investigated.”
Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty
Over a dozen volunteers working with CMA and theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationcomprised the “human chain,” which used vibrations and sounds to help lure the dolphins back toward safer waters. Onlookers watched the rescue from a bridge, taking photos and videos.
CNN reports that the mission took about 45 minutes before the animals were successfully on their way into Riviera Bay, which feeds back out into Tampa Bay.
“They didn’t stop, they didn’t look back, they didn’t even hesitate for a second. Once they were through, they were headed for home,” saidNational Wildlife Federationrepresentative Jessica Bibza, as shown in the CMA’s video.
“This is a first for me — I’ve never done this type of intervention where we do not set a net,” added White. “But it’s always nice having a successful rescue.”
source: people.com
