Community rescues stranded dolphins

A community banded together last Saturday to save a group of Common Dolphins who had become stranded in Cloghane.

The dolphins had become stranded near the entrance of Cloghane Estuary, caught by the tide that goes out very fast there.

The drama began to unfold last Saturday when local lady Shelia Mulcahy telephoned head-penguin keeper Louise Overy in Dingle Oceanworld to report the stranded dolphins.

Louise wasted no time in getting in touch with her sister, Tabitha, in Cloghane to let her know she was on her way and to begin co-ordinating local efforts and to scope out the scene.

"There were two fishermen from Charleville there already Dave Barry and Joe Whelan [who had circled around to see if they could help]," Tabitha explained.

Tabitha and the two fishermen got into the water to keep the dolphins wet until the reinforcements arrived.

"We kept the dolphins wet while we waited for Louise who then arrived with the rest of our family to help."

Louise, Tabitha along with fellow Overy family members Gina, Poppy and Zach, along with Michael Cleary, who had also arrived to assist in the rescue effort, then set about saving the lives of the dolphins.

After a tenuous four hours, with the co-operation and assistance of everyone involved, the dolphins were able to make it back into deep water.

Louise Overy of Dingle Oceanworld was keen to stress that when it comes to a successful outcome, time is of the essence.

"If you come across a live - or even a deceased - whale or dolphin, it is very important to contact the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) or Dingle Oceanworld," she said.

"If the whale or dolphin is stranded, keep crowds and dogs away so they don't get stressed. Keep them wet by using seaweed or towels but don't get water in the blow-hole when it opens."

For more information on the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, visit their website at IWDG.ie. Or if you wish to make contact with Dingle Oceanworld immediately, the telephone number is 066-9152111.