Refloating efforts fail to save stranded Mayo dolphins

Refloating efforts fail to save stranded dolphins in North Mayo


Anton McNulty

Two dolphins who were stranded on beaches in Mayo in the past week died after they became stranded again despite attempts by local people to guide them out to deep water.
The incidents took place along the Mullet peninsula and in Killala when the two dolphins became stranded on beaches. Both were successfully re-floated but they were reported  stranded again and both subsequently died.
On August 5, a male Risso dolphin became stranded on sand at Elly Bay on the Mullet peninsula at 7.30am and despite being successfully refloated, the dolphin stranded again hours later across the bay in Doolough. It was decided not to try to refloat the dolphin and it died the following day.
On Monday, August 9, a Common dolphin was found stranded in Killala Bay and locals managed to bring the dolphin out to deeper water where it swam away. However, three days later a dolphin believed to be the same one was found dead stranded on a beach in Enniscrone in Sligo. On July 29, another Common dolphin was reported live stranded at Killala but died on the beach.
Irene O’Brien, a representative of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group in Mayo told The Mayo News that it is not unusual for dolphins to strand on Mayo beaches but added they are not sure why it happens.
“There are very few studies on cetaceans [whales and dolphins] and it is hard to say why this [stranding] happens. They can be disorientated but normally there is something wrong with them and this is reflected by the fact that they more often than not they are reported stranded again maybe two days after refloating,” she said.
While the Common and the Bottlenose dolphins are more common to the waters around Mayo, the Risso is seen less and Irene said it was not obvious why the dolphin came ashore. She added that once a dolphin strands again it is decided not to try to refloat.
“Once an animal who has been re-floated strands again, it adds to the cruelty to try to refloat them again and it is decided to let them die. We tried to get a vet to put it down but it is quite a specialised task and there was no vet available. We had to leave it until the next morning and it was still alive but died before the vet arrived.
“Looking at it, it looked in good condition because sometimes there would be obvious injuries but this animal had no marks to suggest it was in a scrap with another animal. When it was first found it did not look stressed as its breathing was regular and it was only when it came close to dying that it became stressed. It seemed fine when it was brought out to deep water but there must have been something wrong with him.”
Mayo was not the only place where there were reported stranding of dolphins with five Common dolphins discovered live stranded on Rossnowlagh Beach in Donegal. Two were successfully refloated but three died while a Striped dolphin, normally found in temperate and tropical waters, was found dead in the Shannon Estuary in Clare.