Tourist Boat Rescues Stranded Dolphin Calf Off Welsh Coast
A dolphin calf that became separated from its mother and appeared unwell has been rescued by a tourist boat off the coast of Wales.
The team at Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips in New Quay, Ceredigion, spotted the two common dolphins near the shore of Cardigan Bay. With the help of members of the public and a local volunteer trained by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), they managed to save the stranded calf.
A Rare Sighting in Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is a special conservation area for bottlenose dolphins, but sightings of common dolphins are rare, according to the company, which has been operating boat trips in the area for nearly 70 years.
A video shared on the company’s Facebook page showed the calf struggling in shallow waters at 11:30 GMT on Saturday morning. The team noted that the dolphin seemed lethargic as it swam close to the shore.
In a second video, volunteers were seen jumping into the water, fully clothed, attempting to guide the calf toward deeper waters. When those efforts failed, they carefully wrapped the dolphin in a blanket and placed it onto one of the company’s boats.
The Rescue Mission
Josh Pedley, from New Quay, first heard about the stranded dolphin from former colleagues at SeaMôr Dolphin Watching Boat Trips, another local tour company.
He observed the dolphins for about an hour before the mother appeared to abandon the calf.
“This coincided with a kayaker approaching the animals—perhaps just a coincidence—but after that, the mother was not seen again,” he said.
With the tide still receding for another two hours, Pedley noticed the calf showing signs of distress.
“It was mostly ‘logging’ on the surface and swimming in circles,” he said, describing how the calf struggled in the water.
Fearing the dolphin might soon become stranded, he contacted BDMLR, who advised him to keep an eye on the situation. As the tide continued to drop and waves grew stronger, the calf was pushed into increasingly shallower water.
Realizing it was only minutes away from becoming beached, Pedley called BDMLR again for further instructions.
Executing the Rescue
Pedley waded into waist-deep water to act as a barrier, preventing the dolphin from being pushed too far ashore. When the BDMLR team arrived, they attempted to guide the calf into deeper waters, but the waves kept pushing it back.
“A plan was made to get a boat crewed by Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips staff, lift the dolphin into the boat, and release it further out to sea,” Pedley explained.
After being examined by marine medics, the dolphin was safely re-released into deeper waters.
A Hopeful Outcome
Since the rescue, the calf has not been seen, and the team remains hopeful.
“The company said the calf had not been spotted since and hopes that ‘no news is good news.'”
Following the rescue, Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips shared on social media:
“An amazing result today. Thanks to our dedicated crew, the BDMLR-trained volunteers, and a few passionate helpers, a common dolphin calf was successfully rescued from stranding on the beach at Traeth Gwyn, across the water from New Quay’s main beach.”