.Gertrudis Flores of the Cebu City Bantay Dagat checks on the wounds of the dolphin rescued by Antonio Tahir, also of the city’s Bantay Dagat, near the Ludo plant at the South Road Properties (SRP) last Sunday. (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)
A dolphin was rescued by Bantay Dagat members after it got stranded along the coast of the South Road Properties (SRP) Kawit Island yesterday afternoon.
The dolphin was rescued at 4 pm yesterday by Antonio Tahir, Bantay Dagat Fish Warden after he got a call from the Cebu City’s National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC).
There were two stranded dolphins reported but upon reaching the area, Tahir only found one.
“Folks around the area said that the other dolphin wasn’t injured. It seems that the dolphin just escorted the injured dolphin to the coast,” said Gertrudis Flores, administrative staffer of Bantay Dagat.
Tahir then rescued the dolphin and turned it over to Bantay Dagat.
It was placed in a box-like container.
Since the dolphin is still recovering, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) advised Bantay Dagat to hang the dolphin with a net and not to submerge it fully since its blowhole will get wet making it unable it to breathe.
The dolphin is estimated to be about 5-foot long and weighs around 20 kilos.
A round wound estimated to be about one inch in diameter was found on its head and another deeper round wound, about two and a half inch in diameter, was seen under its beak.
According to Flores, BFAR injected medicine to the dolphin.
Bantay Dagat is still waiting for the results of BFAR’s investigation to determine the specie of the dolphin and what caused it to be stranded offshore.
She added that the dolphin will be transferred as soon as it recovers from its wounds to a floating hut measuring 10 by 10 meters which was anchored at the coast near the Bantay Dagat office./ by USJ-R Intern Mayfair D. dela Cerna
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