Dolphin rescue in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford

On Friday, 15th November, while John Power was birdwatching near the Gold Coast Hotel in Co. Waterford, he spotted a lone dolphin high and dry on a bank of sand out in the bay in Dungarvan. John quickly got in touch with IWDG  and sent us videos. John Cahill at the same time also called us on the live standing hotline (097 28118) about the dolphin. This poor dolphin was in quite a predicament, as it was a considerable distance from shore, across a channel of water on a small sandbank known as Deadman’s Sand. With the tide just turning and rising, it was not safe for anyone to walk out there, as they could quickly be cut off. Simon, from Helvick RNLI, said that it was too shallow for a boat to reach the dolphin, at that tide level.

These types of strandings are always very difficult, especially for our volunteers and members of the public watching on. They so want to help the animal, but human safety must always come first. Thankfully John and Paul’s quick thinking enlisted the help of experienced sea kayaker Craig Keyworth, who runs Copper Coast Sea Kayaking Adventures. Craig responded immediately and went out to the dolphin.

Below is Craig’s account of the event. I wish to thank everyone for their help on the day: John Power and John Cahill for calling it in, IWDG volunteers Paul Carroll, Ann Trimble and Andrew Malcom for going to the area to assess the situation, Simon O’Hara of Helvick RNLI for his advice, Jamie Heron from Waterford Sub Aqua Search and Recovery Group and Craig for his intervention, which, as you will read below, helped that dolphin join up with other common dolphins later that morning. Thanks again to you all. – Gemma (IWDG Live Stranding Coordinator)

 

Video by John Power

 

Craig’s summary

” The stranded dolphin had approx 6-8 small shallow fresh bleeding wounds on its sides.  I assumed they were from gull attacks.  None were more than a few mm deep.  It’s eye appeared to be safe.  The eyelids were closed tightly throughout my time with the dolphin on the sandbank.  There was no blood or wounds near the eyes and there appeared to be secretions from the eyes below the eyes.  These looked like “tearstains”, no red at all.

When I got to the dolphin stranded on the sandbank it was lying rolled over about 45 degrees to its left with its left pectoral fin buried quite deep in the sand.  It was exhaling strongly several times a minute (approx 6 times per minute).  I think it was aware of my presence.  It reacted markedly a couple times when I touched it, as if it was a bit startled by the touch, but very quickly relaxed when I touched it in the same place again.  At first I tried to lift it to move it towards the water, but it was much too heavy.  As the tide filled in and the first couple cms of water got to the location I dug sand out from underneath the dolphin.  This was quite successful.  Doing that I managed to dig out its pectoral fin and get the dolphin level and make a hollow for its body to sit into better.  I then managed to get it to the water by rocking it forwards and backwards.  Every time I rocked it forward I was able to push it forward a tiny bit, and the dolphin started to work with me in that motion like it was swimming and together we made steady progress.  When we got into water deep enough to float it it seemed disoriented and swam on its left side and nearly upside down at times.  It ended up nearly beached again but I was able to help it into deeper water quite easily then.  In my sea kayak I stayed with the dolphin for about an hour.  At first it was swimming very markedly with its left side down and very slowly, surfacing many times per minute.  It managed to find the channel out of the bay, but I did have to shepherd it back out a couple times where it met shallow water and tried to turn back too far and head back inland again.  Through the hour its swimming improved but it still was much slower than the kayak.  It stayed close to the surface at all times, surfacing 5-10 times per minute.
When we got near to Black Rock I saw at least 2 other dolphins further out to sea.  I think there were more based on how dispersed the various surfacings were, but definitely at one point I saw 2 fins above the surface simultaneously, so can be certain there were at least 2.  That group approached and joined the subject dolphin close to me and the group swam off together.  They too were common dolphins.  I returned to shore “

Video by Jamie Heron – Waterford Sub Aqua Search and Recovery Group

An explanation of terms

The following are short explanations of terms used and noted observations. These and more are covered in detail in IWDG Live Stranding Courses. Details of our 2025 courses around Ireland will be made available in early 2025.

  • Tear stains – Dolphins have glands around their eyes that produce secretions to give the eye a protective coating, protecting it from the effects of saltwater and reducing irritation. When a dolphin is live stranded, this secretion flows downwards from the dolphin’s eyes, producing what looks like a tear stain.
  • Breathing rate – A healthy, calm dolphin’s breathing rate is 2–5 breaths per minute. A rate of 6–10 breaths per minute indicates the dolphin is stressed or its breathing is compromised. More than 10 breaths per minute suggests the dolphin is severely stressed or has serious respiratory problems. This rate can return to normal when the stress is reduced, the dolphin is cooled, or trenches are dug under the animal to relieve pressure on the pectoral fins and lungs. However, if the breathing rate doesn’t decrease after first aid is administered, it indicates a poor prognosis for the dolphin.
  • First aid – Positioning, cooling, calming, and protecting the dolphin from the sun or wind are critical (attend an IWDG Live Stranding course to learn how to help a live-stranded dolphin).
  • Startled – Common dolphins, in particular, startle easily when live stranded. It is best to let them see you at all times, approach slowly, and keep the area quiet. Volunteers should work in hushed voices. Dolphins can calm when they realise you aren’t a threat. Handling should be kept to a minimum, and first aid should be given promptly.
  • Listing – When a dolphin live strands and lists to one side, the lung on the downward side is compressed, causing the opposite lung to over-inflate slightly to compensate. When the dolphin re-enters the water with this lung imbalance, it may continue to list to one side. This imbalance can recover over time, and the dolphin’s position in the water may become more neutral.
  • Live Stranding – A live stranding occurs when a dolphin, whale, or porpoise is beached alive, out of the water. This is more common in Common dolphins, which are a pelagic species and unfamiliar with local coastlines, unlike Harbour porpoises or Bottlenose dolphins. When Common dolphins feed closer to the coast or venture over flat areas with sandbars or mudflats, they can become disoriented and fail to find their way out before the tide recedes, especially during spring tides.
  • Survival time – Dolphins breathe air through the blowhole at the top of their head, so they can survive out of water for a significant time, often hours, if cared for properly. However, a live stranding for a dolphin is akin to a car crash for us, taking a massive toll on its body. Dolphins survive longer when trained IWDG volunteers attend to them and provide first aid, but the longer they remain out of water, the more severe the effects of the stranding. Some dolphins are highly susceptible to stress and can die quickly from shock, especially if mishandled or attacked by gulls. Overheating out of water severely compromises a dolphin’s health, as does lying on their side while stranded. Large whales, unfortunately, face additional challenges due to their immense weight, which can cause muscle breakdown, clog their kidneys, and lead to renal failure, among other fatal conditions. As a result, large whales are not candidates for re-floating.
  • Re-floating – if a dolphin is deemed a re-float candidate, it is first gently rolled on to a tarpaulin or rescue sheet using a technique taught in our live stranding courses. The tarpaulin is then lifted by around 6 people as a common can weight up to 130kg, and is placed no more than thigh to waist deep. It is then allowed to recover for a time before being released. A dolphins tail or fins should never be used to move or pull a dolphin as this can cause dislocation injuries to the dolphin.