Bantayan folks rescued and later on freed a spinner dolphin that was stranded in their area on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.| Photo from BFAR 7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Residents of Bantayan town in Bantayan Island rescued a spinner dolphin on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023.
The dolphin was later on released back into the waters after local officials made sure that he was safe and in good condition.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Visayas (BFAR-7) said in a social media post on Tuesday, Feb. 14, that the local government of Bantayan successfully rescued a stranded male spinner dolphin from the waters of Barangay Tamiao.
BFAR 7 said a resident, who was identified as Francisco de la Peña, informed town officials on the discovery of the stranded spinner dolphin.
Eugene Abria of the Municipal Risk Management and Management Office and Julius Salvado of the Municipal Agriculture Office led the rescue operation.
Salvado said the spinner dolphin was found stranded near the seaweeds production area in Barangay Tamiao where small fishes would also dwell.
The abundance of small fishes in the area may have brought the spinner dolphin there, he said.
Rescuers allowed the spinner dolphin to acclimatize or adopt to its current environment before they finally released this back into the waters.
According to Oceana International, spinner dolphins got its name from their habit of “leaping from the water and spinning rapidly before landing with a splash.”
These species live in the open ocean and would often associate with other species of dolphins.
Spinner dolphins are also relatively small, reaching lengths of approximately two meters and weighs only about 77 kilogram.
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