A bottle-nosed dolphin stranded on the sand flats near Bluff has been returned to the water — though her calf died before help arrived.
Renee Bull said her uncle saw the mammals while flying over Southland yesterday. He called her and she drove to the scene with a friend.
She said they thought both dolphins were dead at first, then saw the mother was breathing.
They called the Department of Conservation and its staff quickly arrived.
Doc operations manager Murihiku John McCarroll said the calf was dead and the mother in poor condition.
Workers brought buckets of water for the surviving dolphin. It was assessed by a Doc vet who had said she was remarkably calm.
A department worker said both dolphins had appeared to be in reasonable health, and was unsure why they had stranded.
The dead calf was taken away.
A truck and trailer drove onto the beach to assist the mother, but after taking her weight (estimated to be about 400kg) and the fast-approaching tide into consideration, Doc workers decided to wait for the water to come to her.
Ms Bull’s partner and his work colleagues arrived to help Doc staff move the dolphin to deeper waters with the incoming tide.
The dolphin returned to the water, exhausted, just after 2pm.
Doc staff will continue to monitor the area for the next few days to ensure its safety.
Mr McCarroll said Doc was awaiting a decision from mana whenua about what would happen to the calf’s body.
Ben Tomsett
