PHUKET: A young bottlenose dolphin, which was spotted in Phuket waters on Thursday (June 15), has been successfully rescued and is now receiving treatment at the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC), as confirmed by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).
The initial report of a bottlenose dolphin dangerously close to the shore in Phuket came in the early morning of June 15. The marine animal was observed swimming in Tha Jeen Canal, also referred to as Khlong Tha Chin. This waterway, which separates Koh Siray from Phuket, is known for its pollution and high marine traffic.
It was ерут reported that the dolphin had been assisted in returning to the sea, meaning out of the canal. However, the DMCR corrected those reports later, stating that the dolphin had actually been rescued by marine experts and transported to the Sirithan Rare Marine Life Rescue Center, located at the PMBC in Phuket’s Cape Panwa.
The rescued bottlenose dolphin has been identified as an adolescent male, measuring 193 cm in length and weighing about 42 kg. Although no visible wounds were found on its body, marine life experts noted that the dolphin appeared weak. Further tests confirmed dehydration. In light of this, wildlife specialists have decided to provide care for the animal until its recovery from any underlying conditions it may have.
For obvious reasons, the DMCR could not confirm that the rescued dolphin was the same animal that had been spotted several hours before in the canal and then assisted out of it. Yet the rescue location, as specified in the DMCR report, was exactly where the dolphin would be if the animal headed straight south from the canal.
