Phang Nga fishermen assist weak dolphin found in small cove near Khao Lak

Eakkapop Thongtub

KHAO LAK: Rescue workers at 10.30pm on Friday (September 25) were alerted by local fishermen concerned about a weak dolphin they found struggling to swim in a shallow cove near the Khao Pakarung Cape in Ta Kua Pa district's Kuek Kak locale.

A team of rescue workers, led by Mr Surachai Khlongkarn, arrived to the scene near a fishing dock in Kuek Kak's Moo 2 where they found the dolphin, which was reported to be about two metres long and weighing more than 50kg.

The dolphin, which was swimming on its side back and forth in the shallow bay, appeared to have skin abrasions all throughout its body, but was not bleeding, Mr Surachai said.

Mr Surachai telephoned the Andaman Marine Resources Research and Development Centre office in Phuket, and spoke with veternarian, Dr Rachawadee Chanthara, who advised rescuers on aiding the dolphin until experts from the centre could be dispatched.

Dr Ratchawadee advised against transferring the dolphin to another area as it was feared that such a move would be too tramuatic for the dolphin, reported to be in a very weak state.

She further advised for all unnecessary personnel to distance themselves from the dolphin and for only two rescue volunteers to help prop up the dolphin on either side, being careful not to accidentially grab or touch its sexual organ, while preventing water/sand from entering the mammal's orfices.

However, it soon became clear that the water was getting more shallow by the minute, so the volunteers decided to move the dolphin to the other side of the cove, where the assistants said the dolphin was finally able to swim on its own, disappearing under the water and swimming away from them.

To be sure the dolphin didn't just swum back to shore, the men surveyed the area for a distance of about 1 kilometre and unable to find the dolphin again returned back to shore.

Weak and injured dolphins are regularly reported shoring up at this particular bay usually following a big storm, said Mr Surachai, who suspects that the abrasions spotted on the dolphin were caused by sharp coral and rocks abundant throughout the shallow seabed in the area.

Rough weather, accompanying 3-metre waves have been reported in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of Phang Nga over the past few days.

Meanwhile Typhoon Dujuan is expected to make landfall in Taiwan over the next 24 to 36 hours.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phang-nga-fishermen-assist-weak-dolphin-found-in-small-cove-near-khao-lak-54283.php

-- Phuket News 2015-09-27

Aroi na! tod, kratium, bai krapow, ped ped na! Na?

Firstly the rescuers contacted the experts for advice, and then, promptly ignored it, resulting in the dolphins recovery and return to the sea?

Secondly, I am suprised that they did not remove it from the sea and take it to the dophinarium to be condemed to a life of misery and captivity!