Two dolphins in distress were rescued from Sandy Bay last week.
After an eye-witness alerted the NSRI Emergency Operations Centre to the dophins on the beach on Thursday July 28, Table Mountain National Parks (TMNP) rangers, SPCA Inspectors, and the City of Cape Town Marine Animal Stranding Network (CTMASN) were called to assist.
The NSRI Bakoven duty crew launched the sea rescue craft Gemini Legend and NSRI Bakoven as well as NSRI Hout Bay rescue swimmers responded to the scene.
“During initial assessments by authorities, it was deemed possible to transport the dolphins out to sea in the hopes of releasing them at sea or to swim the dolphins through the surf in the hopes to coral them out to sea,” said NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander, David Rosenberg.
The dolphins were carried into the surf using specialised stretchers and taken a suitable place in the shallow surf where they floated together.
“The rescue swimmers corralled both of the dolphins through the surf line, swimming them to deeper water and at the backline breakers the dolphins were released in deeper water,” said Mr Rosenberg.
The NSRI Bakoven rescue team followed the dolphins for a while and they headed in the direction of Hout Bay.
“The dolphins appear to be healthy and swimming strongly. While we are cautiously optimistic that the rescue has been successful the coastline will continue to be monitored over the next few days but hopes remain that the dolphins do not beach again,” he added.
