Local lobsterman, Victor Brannen was among them.
He says his nephew spotted the Atlantic white-sided dolphin on Stoney Island Beach on Cape Sable Island yesterday morning.
He and several men attempted to take the dolphin back out to sea but were pushed back by storm surges.
They then put the animal on the back of the truck and took it to a launch near the Cape Sable Island causeway.
“We just kept watering him down, we went to the launchway at the causeway and we backed the truck in the water and slid him off,” says Brannen. “He made a couple circles around, blowed a couple times, more or less to say ‘thank you.’”
However, the dolphin hasn’t left the area yet so Brannen got in touch with the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) which is now involved.
Andrew Reid, response coordinator with MARS, says they’re currently assessing the situation with the dolphin.
He says they’re not uncommon in Nova Scotia.
“They do often get in trouble when they move into coastal areas, we’ve had them following fish up in the rivers and once the tide drops they become stranded.”
Because the animal is still swimming in the area near the causeway, he says it’s likely healthy and may have just become stranded during the storm.
He says white-sided dolphins don’t like shallow water and that could be what’s keeping it in the area.
If it doesn’t leave, MARS may have to come in to help.
“The best case scenario is that this dolphin finds his own way out but if it doesn’t we may have to look at encouraging him out by herding him with boats but that involves a fair bit of resources at this point and often they’re resistant to herding as well.”
Reid says if you spot a marine animal in distress to call the society or the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Photo courtesy Victor Brannen.
