TEXAS, USA (10 April 2005) -- They gathered at sunrise from all along the Texas coast and from as far away as Florida for the rescue. For several weeks, a young bottlenose dolphin has been stranded in a recently dredged marina channel at Laguna Vista. Concerned residents notified dolphin expert Scarlet Colley of South Padre Island, who quickly assessed the situation. "When I got here, I could see the dolphin was trapped, and I called the Coastal Studies Lab," Colley said. Jim White, research assistant with the University of Texas-Pan American Coastal Studies Lab, then notified others in the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network. "There are people from all over down here today, plus a lot of our local citizenry who have agreed to come and help us out," White said, as he adjusted the regulator on his scuba tank. "When a dolphin, sea turtle or whale is stranded, we encourage people to report it to us at the lab. We are the point source of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network here." The TMMSN was founded in 1980 as part of the Southeast U.S. Stranding Network and covers the entire 1,000 miles of Texas coast by subdividing it into six regions and appointing volunteer regional coordinators in each area. The TMMSN has evolved into one of the largest and most active stranding networks in the country. Annually there is an average of 180 standings, primarily dolphins, along the Texas coast. Sarah Gomez, a young woman with a confident air, is with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Miami. She quickly took charge of the rescue team numbering some 20 volunteers. "We are a regional stranding network, and we have team members all over the southeastern United States," Gomez said. "We work together on these types of situations to do the best thing we can for these animals." As the sun burned off the early morning haze shrouding the Lower Laguna Madre, Gomez briefed the volunteers on how the rescue would be conducted. Many were veterans of other rescue efforts, but for several it was their first operation. Gomez said the volunteers would net the dolphin, corral him into a nearby area, place him on a stretcher and then onto a truck to transport him to a Port Aransas rehabilitation facility. The dolphin was thought to be a young male and probably no more than a year and a half old. He has exhibited a pattern of swimming up the marina channel, past the docks and out 30 or 40 yards into the shallow bay before returning to the safety of the marina. The youngster had somehow managed to get into the channel several weeks before, possibly with his mother, but now was on his own and unwilling to negotiate the narrow exit channel that led out into the open bay. Brandon Paquin, an animal care technician with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, Fla., was a key member of the team. "I've come down here to South Texas to help this little guy out," Paquin said with a smile as he carefully coiled rope to be used in the upcoming rescue. "I'm on call 24-7. My phone does not leave my hip. Anytime the phone rings at an odd time I am excited to get it." Paquin began working with captive dolphins straight out of high school, and the 31-year-old has responded to dozens of marine mammal standings. "This animal is way beyond just a drop off out in deep water. He's pretty emaciated. I can tell that just by looking at him. You can see he has lost weight, and you can actually see his skull," Paquin said. | | Gomez stressed to the volunteers that everyone participating was vital to the team effort, and she cautioned them to be patient and careful for their sake and safety of the dolphin. She then introduced Dr. Tim Tristan from Corpus Christi, a young veterinarian with a reassuring manner, who would take charge once the dolphin was captured. There are very few veterinarians in the state of Texas that are as experienced with marine mammals as Tristan and are willing to donate their time to rescue efforts. "I will assess the health of the animal and make sure he is safe during capture and transport and address any medical issues we may encounter," Tristan said. The first attempt to capture the dolphin at the mouth of the channel failed. After reassessing their options and patiently waiting for the animal to resume his swimming routine, two groups of rescuers slowly entered the water and stretched their nets across opposite ends of the marina channel. While one net remained fixed at the marina's mouth, the other net was slowly advanced on the cornered dolphin. The dolphin was captured and secured without incident, and then loaded onto a stretcher and quickly moved to a waiting truck. Tristan and several volunteers rode with the dolphin and kept him moist and cool as a Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden led them away with lights flashing. The successful rescue was because of a concerted effort by dedicated volunteers who are determined to make a difference. "I love it. I have been doing this for seven years, and it is what drives me," Gomez said. "One of the things that has kept me in this field for a very long time is the pure dedication of the people involved in these rescues," Paquin explained. "People are fascinated by these animals and they want to do everything they can to save them." "The interesting thing about dolphins is that it pulls together a variety of people with a variety of backgrounds that otherwise may never cross paths in life," Tristan said. "Hopefully, we can put some fish in his belly and get him fattened up and put him back out where he needs to be," Paquin added. The dolphin is currently being cared for at the rehabilitation facility in Port Aransas. Rescuers are hopeful he will recover soon and be released back into the wild, where he can rejoin his family pod. "I think the people in the Valley should consider all these dolphins as an extended family and come and learn about them, about how to respect wild dolphin families," Scarlet Colley said. "The privilege to see dolphins in the wild interacting as family groups is an incredible opportunity we have on South Padre Island." SOURCE - The Monitor |
