Dolphin rescued from Cornwall river after swimming six miles inland

A lone female dolphin was rescued from the River Fowey
-Credit:Gavin Parsons/BDMLR


A lone dolphin was rescued from a river in Cornwall after it swam six miles inland. The female common dolphin was trapped in a deep pool in the River Fowey, just south of Lostwithiel.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) charity said it was made aware of the dolphin on Sunday (January 19) and a team of specially trained marine mammal medics and vets was assembled to get the dolphin back out to sea as there was concern that it could strand during the night.

BDMLR director Gavin Parsons said: “I was one of the first at the scene and found a lone common dolphin trapped in a deep pool in a bend in the river. It was free swimming, but getting back to sea would be hard for the dolphin and there was a strong chance it would strand out of sight during the night.”

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It was thought the animal had got there because it was disoriented, so leaving it to find its own way out overnight would probably not have ended well. The charity decided the best course of action was to physically relocate the dolphin from the river back to the coast.

A lone female dolphin was rescued from the River Fowey
A lone female dolphin was rescued from the River Fowey -Credit:Gavin Parsons/BDMLR

BDMLR chose the small harbour at Polkerris for this as it was easy to get to, would be sheltered and was open to St Austell Bay with a sandy beach which made a release possible.

Once the dolphin was deemed to be fit and healthy for release, it was fitted with a satellite tag - so its progress could be monitored - before being carried into the sea. Once the water took the animal’s weight, the team started the release procedure.

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Within a few minutes the dolphin started to kick strongly and swam off into the night. The charity said it was last seen heading out into St Austell Bay where it is hoped that it reunites with its pod.

Members of the public spotting dolphins or other marine mammals in distress should follow best practice for watching wildlife. If you have any concerns for a marine mammal you can call BDMLR’s 24 hour rescue hotline on 01825 765546.

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