A young dolphin stranded on Grand Isle Beach was rescued this week by the Audubon Nature Institute in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Reports of the stranded 6 1/2 feet (almost 2 meters) young male dolphin being spotted on the Grand Isle Beach started coming in last Monday. At first, state biologists tried releasing the animal into the Gulf of Mexico, but as Gabriella Vazquez, the Audubon Institute's stranding and rescue coordinator, observed, the juvenile did not even attempt to swim back to the surf on its own, prompting the institute to take the dolphin back to captivity for rehabilitation.
"When we initially assessed the animal, he was really weak, he was lethargic, you could tell he had been beat up," veterinarian Dr. Tres Clarke said, adding that it may have been the huge waves and the rough weather that lead the dolphin to its current, weakened state.
The dolphin is currently at the Audubon Aquatic Center in New Orleans, where it is being observed and treated.
Veterinarians and wildlife workers are currently working round the clock, watching over the animal and making sure that it will survive to recover. Clarke even said that some of the workers haven't been home for past three or four days to make sure that someone is keeping an eye on the dolphin.
"We're monitoring this guy 24 hours a day. Everybody is here even until the late mornings," Clarke said.
Clarke added that the dolphin is now able to swim and eat on its own in the tank, but it is not strong enough to be diagnosed as fully recovered yet. Clarke added that it even developed quite an attitude, which the team sees as a good thing.
"He's not happy with this situation which is good. It's great," Clarke said, explaining that she did not want the dolphin to associate humans and captivity with food and to like its caretakers.
The institute's goal is to ensure the dolphin's recovery and return to wildlife, but so far, there is no set timetable. Clarke said that the dolphin's release back to the Gulf will depend on how fast it is recovering.
Experts estimate it may take several months before it could happen, and after the dolphin passes several tests to ensure that it can survive the wild.
