How to rescue a stranded dolphin ?

The Peruvian law according Supreme decree N° 002-96-PE obliges everybody to return live specimen of small cetaceans to the sea.

Article 4 declares that animals, being caught alive in nets of local or industrial fishery, have to be returned to the sea alive.

Article 5 declares that animals, stranded alive with any chance to survive have to be returned to the ocean.

You therefore have not only the right but the legal obligation to help a stranded or accidentally caught animal, as well as an animal encountered alive in a fishing boat or on a fishing peer.

Returning a dolphin to the sea however is not an easy undertaking and the best thing to do would be to inform a specialist on cetaceans to take the lead in this operation.

An organization that provides a cost free rescue service all along the Peruvian coast is the "Scientific Organization for the Conservation of Marine Mammals" (ORCCAMM). Please try what ever is possible to call them as fast as possible. Their two emergency telephones are connected 24 hours a day:

Call: (01) 938 94 30 or (01) 724 58 44

Eventhough the specialists of ORCAMM will come as fast as posible you can help making the survival of the animal more likely by staying with the animal and acting according the following rules till the specialists of ORCCAMM arrive:

1.) The major rule is to REDUCE STRESS on the animal. Stress kills!

To do so keep machinery, people and dogs away from the animal. These animals hear through the lower jaw, so any vibrations on the sand will be a most invasive distressing sound.

If people offer to help organize them into shifts so that at an one time the most people working close to the animal will be five or six. Ask these helpers to talk quietly, and generally be as quit as possible.

At night keep lights out of the animals eyes. In case journalists appear they will like to take pictures using flashlights or film the animal using lights. Those type of lights are absolutely forbidden around a stranded dolphin. They threaten the animals survival. Dolphins are used only to natural light i.e. stars and moon at night. A bright light will stress the needlessly.

2.) The animal has to be kept wet

But when pouring water on the animal do it gently and slowly. Throwing buckets at the animal will distress it and worsen the situation, and definitely will not work to cool the animal down. Pour gently, and make sure that any sand in the bucket as settled in the bottom before you poor. So don't quiet empty the bucket. The last thing the animal needs is sand in its skin.

Form a bucket-brigade; kids are great for this, as they never seem too tired. But of course pouring water on the animal should be the adults business as it needs a bit more skill and concentration.

3.) Do not pour water anywhere near the blowholes

Remember these animals have only one passage for air to reach the lungs, i.e. blowholes. They cannot breathe through their mouth. It's vital not to let any water get into the lungs, as t is will cause pneumonia. If you want to flush the area around the blowholes, first get a handle on the respiration rate. Then wait until the animal as finished exhaling and inhaling, and the blowholes are tightly shut, then gently pour around the blowholes.

4.) Do not rub the animal wit sandy hands

If people insist on stroking the animal make sure they rinse their hands in a bucket of water first.

5.) Do not cover the eyes, blowholes, dorsal fin, the pectoral fins or flukes wit towels, etc.

The dorsal fin, the pectoral fins and flukes are the temperature regulating appendages. Covering them will prevent the animal from adjusting its temperature. And blocking the animals vision will stress it.

6.) Do not apply sunscreens.

They impede the skin functions. The best protection from the sun is shade (from umbrellas, tents and wet cloths.

7.) For their own safety, don't let people stand near their flukes.

The animal, if frightened, might swing those flukes which can break our bones like they are matchsticks.

8.) Moving the animal

YOU SHOULD NEVER TRY TO MOVE THE ANIMAL, WHICH MOST PROBABLY WILL CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE TO ITS HEALTH. ONLY IF IT RESULTED IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTACT THE SPECIALISTS OF ORCCAMM YOU MAY ACT ACCORDING THE FOLLOWING RULES IN ORDER TO TRANSPORT THE ANIMAL INTO THE WATER.

Moving the animal from the beach into the water and letting it go is not possible. The minimum rehabilitation time is 24 hours. During the first hours it might be necessary to maintain the animal at the surface. Having been lying on the beach the dolphin might be to stiff and with cramps and might not be able to swim by itself and would drown if just being put into water. So helpers will have to support and gently massage the animal around the clock in 20 minute shifts. It would be best if the helpers would be equipped with full wetsuits booties and hoods, to do so.

Before putting the animal in the water you also have to evaluate if the wave-action on the beach allows you to rehabilitate the animal or if it is necessary to transport it to a nearby bay, being more sheltered.

In order to move the animals in other countries specially designed mats are used. There are not existing such instruments in Peru, so you will have to do as best as possible under the given circumstances. Read carefully the following advice:

9.) Carefull with the pectoral fins

Never, never roll the animal. The vertebrae needs special attention, so that no part of the vertebrae is left unsupported nor moved in an opposing direction.

The pectorals are finely boned, have the same bones as our arms. These appendages are used for steering. So if any of the pectoral bones is damaged the animal will not be able to swim in a straight line. So never use the pectoral fins to move the animal. You will dislocate the scapula. The pectoral fins are not handles for the convenience of rescuers!

Dig carefully a hole in the sand around the pectoral fins (using your hands) so that they can rest in a more natural position.

When it is decided to move the animal, please warn everybody, that the pectoral fins are very fragile and that someone should hold the pectoral fins gently against the anima1s body so that these bones are not dislocating during the move. If there is a chance to choose the time for the move choose high tide - less distance between the animal and the water.

10.) Groups of dolphins

Sometimes a whole group of dolphins and small whales becomes stranded. In this case some of the animals might still be in the water. Try to avoid that they also become stranded. This will not work by making noise, but by carefully pushing them into deeper water, using boats or people. Try to bring the animals on the beach to the group in the water. Then escort the group with boats into open water. Groups are often structured in several subgroups with tight bonding between the individuals. Try to identify such subgroups and start with them.

Special tips for veterinaries

There are very few veterinaries with experience on marine mammals in Peru. If you are a veterinary being unfamiliar with dolphins you should take the following in consideration, when assessing the state of the animal:

1. Using a probe in order to take the animal's temperature is extremely stressful as you have to roll the animal to its side, which is against all common sense, particularly with a larger animal. You might break the bones of one of the pectoral fins and worsening the situation.

Best to gauge the temperature by one person standing near the blowholes and waiting for the next blow. Hold one hand about half a meter above the blowholes and keep it there when the animal blows, you also blow in your other hand. Is there a great difference in the relative warmth of your breath against that of the dolphins breath ? Do this every our or so and write down your observations.

2. Keep a record of the respiration and pulse rate. Have somebody writing down the exact time (hour, minute and second) for each breath. If there is a dramatic change in respiration rate, check if there is an external cause (such as a loud noise from generators, cars, dogs barking or people screaming). Always include a note of such disturbances alongside the record for breath.

3. To get the pulse is really only possible when the animal is floating. Place your hand under the left pectoral fin (the animals left) and you will feel the beat.

4. Keep record of the animals movement. Is it flitching; is it moving its head, pectoral fins or fluke; is it shivering, etc

What to do if the animal is too ill or wounded and can not be rehabilitated or if the animal dies.

1.) If the animal is obviously too sick or wounded to be rehabilitated the only thing you can do is try to make its situation more comfortable by digging wholes for the pectoral fins to be in a more natural position, keeping it wet and in the shadow.

2.) Do never try to kill a dolphin with the intention to make it suffer less. Supreme decree No. 002-96-PE, Article 6 prohibits any harassment, injuring or intentional mutilation of small cetaceans. As probably not being experienced with dolphins anatomy you also will not find the right places to kill a dolphin fast and your intent will cause the animal only greater and unnecessary pain. Do not try to kill a dolphin by shooting it in the head. The bullet most probably will not penetrate the strong bones of the head and might bounce off and hurt bystanders.

3.) If the animal has died, do not allow anybody to cut off the animals dorsal meat for human consumption. First the animal might have been seriously ill and it might be dangerous to consume it and secondly the law Supreme decree No. 002-96-PE, Article 3 prohibits the consumption of fresh or processed dolphin meat.

Violations of the regulations mentioned previously in this web site can be punished with the suspension of concessions, authorizations, permits or licenses for 180 days and one to three years in jail.

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