Last weekend, a mass stranding of Dolphins left 21 dead on the Cornish shores and many more in great distress, 'the biggest mass stranding in 27 years'. What exactly happened is still unsure with some claiming that Navy signals put the dolphins off course leading them into the river. It is thought that around 15 dolphins got caught in the Percuil River near Falmouth before stranding in Porth Creek. These dolphins were then thought to have attracted others by putting out distress signals.
Lifeboat crews called the scene 'carnage' as 20 dolphins died and 1 was put down by vets. The other 60 dolphins in the pod all managed to swim back down the river and to safety. The bodies have all been removed for post mortem to try and establish exactly what happened.
Sadly I could not attend the BDMLR rescue as I was stuck with tonsillitis, but the organisation has put out messages to say they are still on high alert due to the unknown causes. BDMLR do great work every time a mammal is left stranded or in distress. The good work they do should be noted and the courses they give are free so become a member of their team and help them to help marine animals in trouble.
BDMLR website: http://www.bdmlr.org.uk/pages/main.html
Youtube video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=HHdxeuRiatg
