Dolphin stranded on South Gare returns to North Sea after rescue operation

A dolphin which had become stranded on a North East beach was returned to the sea following a rescue operation.

The common dolphin was spotted by a member of the public on South Gare, Redcar on Monday 28 November.

They called British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and volunteers were dispatched to rescue the animal, with assistance from the Coastguard.

It is thought the adult male, which measured about two metres long, had become stranded due to a navigational problem.

Molly Gray, from BDMLR, said: "It's the first dolphin we've seen in a while.

"If we get a call about a stranded animal we have to assess whether we re-float it or not.

"It all depends on the condition of the animal. Sometimes the reason why the dolphin strands is because of an underlying illness or something. This one was in really good condition so we think it was a navigational issue and he probably just took a wrong turn somewhere."

She added: "We've marked his dorsal fin so if he turns up again we will be able to identify him. We haven't seen him since so hopefully he swam off."

The operation took about three to four hours to complete.

BDMLR is a volunteer organisation set up in response to a mass mortality of common seals in the Wash area of East Anglia. It now has a network of volunteers across the country and has become involved in responding to stranded and endangered cetaceans, which includes whales, dolphins and porpoise.

Anyone who spots a stranded marine animal can call the organisation's hotline on 01825 765546. There is also further information about what to do if they come across a stranded animal on its website.

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