Just before midday on Tuesday, beachgoers, tour boat operators and lifeguards had a unique experience on the shores of Store Bay, Tobago, as a pod of dolphins entered the usually tranquil bay, swimming between those wading in the waters.
Kester Kent, a lifeguard on Store Bay for the last eight years, said this was the first time he saw something like this. He said he worked with three fellow lifeguards to get the dolphins back out to sea as soon as possible. He said, “We all tried to get them back out to sea, and every time we did that, we failed because they kept coming back to shore. We don’t know if something was affecting them.” Kent explained it took up to 40 minutes for the pod of nine dolphins, with the largest approximately 16 feet long, to return to the Caribbean Sea and move offshore.
Dolphins are highly social creatures who work in teams to corral entire shoals of fish onto the shore and devour as many as they can. Sometimes, they can get too close to the beach, leading to beaching. Marine scientists have theorized that a single dolphin may strand itself on the shore due to an injury or illness, swimming close to shore to take refuge in shallow water and getting trapped by the changing tide. Then, as the pod refuses to leave one of their own behind, they all end up in shallow water and become stranded. However, this behaviour is much more common with whales than dolphins.
If you encounter a stranded dolphin or large marine animal on the shore, you may think trying to get it back into the ocean may be the best route. However, you may be inflicting more damage to the animal than intended. The Trinidad and Tobago Marine Mammal Stranding Network (TTMMSN) urges the public to call trained first responders to intervene. In a statement, the TTMMSN said, “Though well-meaning, there are times when our intervention could prove more detrimental to these animals since ill marine mammals are predisposed to drowning. Remember, they are mammals, not fish. They have lungs, and they breathe atmospheric air.”
The TTMMSN continued, “Therefore, they must be able to coordinate their body movements in order to surface to breathe before submerging again. Since ill marine mammals are often unable to do so, taking them back out into deep water without being first examined by trained veterinary medical personnel or persons specifically trained to perform health assessments on these animals could prove deadly.” If a marine animal is sick, the TTMMSN says the animal could be harbouring infectious organisms that can be detrimental to humans and other animals.
They also want to remind the public that marine mammals are protected locally under the Conservation of Wildlife Act of Trinidad and Tobago, and interacting with or handling these animals without a permit issued by the relevant authorities is punishable by law.
For those who still want to help, gently pour water over the animal but not their blowhole and cover it with wet towels, leaving the blowhole, eyes and dorsal fin uncovered. The TTMMSN says do not pull the animal by the tail, which can severely injure the animal’s vertebral column (i.e. their equivalent of a spine), and do not take the animal into deep water if a professional hasn’t examined it, as the animal could drown.
If you encounter a stranded dolphin or other marine mammal, contact the TTMMSN first at 481-4838 or the T&T Coast Guard at 634-4440.
