Weighing slightly less than 35 pounds, the male calf was found stranded in shallow waters under a mangrove. SeaWorld’s animal care experts believe the dolphin is no more than five days old due to its size, the upright stature of its dorsal fin and the attached umbilical cord at the time of rescue.
Preliminary tests have showed no major health issues but to ensure the young animal gets the essential nutrients he needs, SeaWorld’s animal team has been manually tube-feeding the dolphin every two hours. Dolphin calves typically nurse from their mother until they are 12 to 18 months old.
The youngster was probably separated from his mother before becoming stranded.
Sea World says that the successful rescue was made possible by a collaborative effort: the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute initially checked on the state of the young calf, and SeaWorld was able to rescue it shortly after – following authorization by NOAA Fisheries Service.
VIDEO and PHOTO Credit: SeaWorld
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Please release this dolphin back to the wild when it is heathy enough.
anonymous, you can't, there are things humans cannot teach them to survive in the wild. :(
He is lucky to be alive as is. Sadly, if he was released he would not survive.
Awe God bless Sea World Orlando for coming to the rescue of this little guy, it is amazing to see how well the Sea World parks help these beautiful animals. I wonder what it feels like to take part in such resuces, and to know that you are helping out millions of stranded and enjored animals. I would love to work with Sea WOrld in these efforts of saving animals it's truly amazing.
The goal is to release him back into the wild. It is possible. Kristin it is an amazing feeling to take part in rescues such as this. My husband is on the Mammal stranding team that was involved in this rescue. My husband held this calf until the Sea World truck came.
Dolphin babies this young can't be returned to the wild, they lack the skills to survive out there. Hope he lives and becomes an ambassador for his species. Good luck little one!
the result of releasing it back to the wild would be the same if they did not rescue it initially: death. in rehab it is not taught how to fish by other dolphins. the mother that stranded it would have had to nurse it for 12-18 months before it could fish on its own.
There was a lady who heard this dolphin, pulled it from the mangrove and held it in her arms in the water for two hours. She is the true heroine in this story. Thankfully the baby is alive because of her!!
Please release this dolphin back to the wild when it is heathy enough.
anonymous, you can't, there are things humans cannot teach them to survive in the wild. :(