Community members together with municipal, MCM and NSRI officials worked hard to rescue beached dolphins yesterday along South Africa's Cape coast.
A small pod of five common dolphins that beached themselves at Rooi Els (a small coastal village along the False Bay coast) yesterday were assisted by locals who worked till sundown to try re-float the creatures. The community was alerted when the dolphins were spotted on the rocks near the boating slipway.
Whenever the dolphins were helped back into the water, however, they seemed to become confused and swam in a ‘synchronised pattern’ - basically around in circles.
By nightfall the dolphins could no longer be seen and all involved left the beach in the hope that the five had finally made their way out to deeper waters.
This afternoon I called MCM spokesperson Mike Meyer for an update. He said two of the dolphins had returned and been bashed by the rocks and died. There was no sign of the remaining 3 and it is hoped they have all survived the ordeal and are back out in the ocean where they belong.
Thank you to all who were involved in this event which once again shows the care and compassion some of us have for the creatures with which we are privileged to share this planet.
