Melbourne dolphin has a lucky escape
May 2013. A dolphin calf has had a lucky escape after it was spotted entangled in fishing line by a paddle boarder near Melbourne.
The Dolphin Research Institute (DRI) was quickly alerted to the sighting and launched its vessel in the area in the hope of tracking down the dolphin that was travelling with its mother and displaying signs of distress. As conditions on the bay were calm, a zig-zag search of the area quickly located the two dolphins and the DRI vessel manoeuvred slowly around them to assess the extent of the injury.
Jeff Weir, Executive Director of DRI, was aboard the vessel and said the heavy fishing line was wrapped around the calf's tail fluke, penetrating the skin and exposing some underlying tissue and trailing behind it for several metres in the water.
"We were able to snag the trailing line and gently pull the calf in alongside us," Mr Weir said.
"We then removed the entanglement by cutting, unwinding and pulling the line and were able to release the calf quickly."
The calf's swimming action did not appear affected by the ordeal and it quickly re-joined its mother.
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