A lost dolphin has been rescued from a river after getting stranded six miles from the sea.
Eagle-eyed Kelly Marie was on a walk with her children when she spotted it.
The female common dolphin was spotted near Lostwithiel on the River Fowey, northeast of St Austell, Cornwall.
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“My children thought it was amazing to see a dolphin so close and could have watched it for hours,” Kelly said.
“I have never heard or seen a dolphin in the River Fowey before.”
She also told What’s The Jam: “We’ve had elephants when the circus used to come to town 80 years ago, but not dolphins.”
A huge rescue operation was launched by British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).
Volunteers were able to wade in and transfer the dolphin to a stretcher before driving it by car to nearby Polkerris Beach on Sunday (19 January)
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“I was one of the first at the scene and found a lone common dolphin trapped in a deep pool in a bend in the river,” said BDMLR Director Gavin Parsons.
“It was free swimming but getting back to sea would be hard for the dolphin and there was a strong chance it would strand out of sight during the night.”
Dan Jarvis, BDMLR Director of Welfare and Conservation, added: “We’ve never seen one in Lostwithiel before.
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“Assessing the situation we considered the options available and likely outcomes.
“The animal appeared to have gotten there due to being disoriented so leaving it to find its own way out overnight would probably not end well.
“Herding it out with small craft similarly would probably not work well as it would have to have taken place after dark and could be more risky.
“The remaining alternative would be to physically relocate the dolphin from the river back to the coast which had a more guaranteed opportunity for success.”
Forming a line in the river, the team herded the dolphin into shallow water where they could capture it.
BDMLR veterinary consultant Natalie Arrow then carried out a full examination to ensure it was healthy and fit for release.
The small harbour at Polkerris was chosen as it was easy to get to, would be sheltered and was open to St Austell Bay with a sandy beach.
It was dark when the team arrived at Polkerris.
The dolphin was fitted with a satellite tag so its progress could be monitored and it was then carried into the sea.
Once the water took the animal’s weight, the team started the release procedure.
Within a few minutes, it started to move and swam off into the night.
It was last seen heading out into St Austell Bay where it was hoped it reunited with its pod.
Mr Jarvis said he believed the 7ft 3in dolphin had become disorientated after swimming inland to follow fish or other food sources.
Marine mammals could become disoriented by human activity, such as underwater noise or boats, he said, but “as far as we can tell in this case it was a natural phenomenon of the dolphin just getting lost”.
He said members of the public spotting dolphins or other marine mammals in distress should follow best practices for watching wildlife while contacting BDMLR, adding: “There’s no need to get close.”
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