Dolphins stranded after Hurricane Milton are dragged from Florida lagoon in dramatic rescue

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A pair of dolphins that will have been stranded in a Florida lagoon since Hurricane Milton struck the state in October had been launched to security after an enormous rescue effort.

The animals had been caught in a shallow water lagoon deep within the mangroves close to Matlacha, an space close to the southwestern Cape Coral and Fort Myers.

Navigating by the mangrove canals and dirt flats on Tuesday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace Marine Unit and biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee discovered the marine mammals.

Witnesses had reported seeing the dolphins on Monday, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned in a Fb submit.

The lagoon was solely between two and three ft deep at excessive tide and there was additionally solely two ft of water or much less within the trails resulting in opening water, stopping the dolphins from escaping.

Rescuers work to drag the dolphins over 300 yards of mud and muck.

Rescuers work to tug the dolphins over 300 yards of mud and muck. (Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace/Fb)

“Biologists consider the dolphins may have been stranded since no less than a really excessive tide in mid-November, and even as far again when water ranges rose throughout Hurricane Milton in October,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.

Transferring the 2 nine-foot-long grownup dolphins was no simple feat. They wanted assist.

With help from the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, the Brookfield Zoo Chicago-Sarasota, Dolphin Analysis Program, and Clearwater Aquarium, they positioned the dolphins on float mats and pulled them over 300 yards of mud and muck.

The dolphins are believed to have been stranded in the Florida lagoon since Hurricane Milton hit in October.

The dolphins are believed to have been stranded within the Florida lagoon since Hurricane Milton hit in October. (Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace/Fb)

Then, they had been towed to deeper waters.

After outfitting the dolphins with satellite tv for pc tags and evaluating their well being, they had been launched again into deeper water within the Matlacha Go.

“The Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace is at all times prepared to assist out our nice residents … on land and sea,” the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.

The dolphins were released in deeper waters after they were examined and outfitted with satellite tags.

The dolphins had been launched in deeper waters after they had been examined and outfitted with satellite tv for pc tags. (Lee County Sheriff’s Workplace/Fb)

For months after the Class 3 hurricane struck close to Siesta Key final October, flooding has plagued the state, bringing wild animals nearer to the human communities they reside round.

Different animals have been displaced by the storm, as nicely.

Manatees had been additionally stranded after Hurricane Helene hit in September. One manatee was present in a small pond practically a mile and a half away from open water.


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The Unbiased


#Dolphins #stranded #Hurricane #Milton #dragged #Florida #lagoon #dramatic #rescue


Julia Musto , 2024-12-13 18:14:00

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