BORACAY – A stranded sub-adult male Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostis) was rescued in the waters of Barangay Yapak here.
The marine mammal measured about 1.7 meters in length and weighed around 40 kilograms.
As a protocol for rescuing marine mammals, the dolphin was covered with a wet blanket.
Spinner dolphins are found in tropical and subtropical zones around the world. They are the most acrobatic among dolphins and have the habit of leaping out of the water, then spinning up to seven times before falling back into the water.
The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Boracay Island facilitated the rescue on Jan. 23, together with the Boracay Newcoast management, and Russel Palmer, president of the Boracay Water Sports Association, and Fairways & Blue Water.
“Around 5 p.m., we received information from the Boracay Newcoast management about a struggling dolphin wandering around the keyhole beach side as seen by their lifeguard. But because of the strong current in the keyhole, we decided to transport the dolphin to a calmer sea area, around three kilometers away from the western seaboard of Boracay Island,” CENRO Forester Joannette S. Opeda said.
Feeding on small fish, squid, and shrimp mostly at night in the open ocean, Spinner dolphins return to the shallows during the day to rest and socialize.
After a physical assessment, the rescued Spinner dolphin was observed to have sustained minor scratches.
“After the release of turtle hatchlings in Boracay Island, the rescue and release of a Spinner dolphin took place. The DENR lauds the effort and coordination of our stakeholders in the island of Boracay for their active participation in terms of biodiversity protection and conservation,” said Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (With a report from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 6)/PN
