- A baby dolphin, rescued on July
20th after life-threatening injuries sustained from
entanglement in crab trap lines is in critical, but stable
condition and continues to improve after 24x7 intensive care at
SeaWorld for nearly nine weeks
- Because the dolphin lacks critical skills needed to survive
on his own due to his young age and size at rescue, National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determines he is
non-releasable
- SeaWorld's ability to meet and exceed the dolphin's unique
social and medical needs a major factor in NOAA's placement
decision
- Public can help choose his new name now online at
seaworld.com/babydolphin and come see him in the park in
the coming weeks
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ORLANDO,
Fla., Sept. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/
-- SeaWorld Orlando today announced that a neonatal dolphin
rescued from Clearwater Beach in
Florida in July will remain in its
care after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) determined he cannot survive on his own due to his lack of
survival skills stemming from his young age and size at the time of
the lifesaving rescue. NOAA placed the dolphin with SeaWorld for
long term care because of its ability to meet and exceed the
dolphin's unique social and medical needs required for him to
thrive. The public is invited to help choose his new name in
an online poll opening today at seaworld.com/babydolphin. The poll
closes on Monday, Sept. 26 at
5pm EST.
"We have nearly 60 years of experience in the care and study of
dolphins at every age and throughout their entire lifespan, from
birth to geriatric care, and that knowledge and expertise is what
makes extraordinary recoveries like these possible," said
Jon Peterson, VP of Zoological
Operations at SeaWorld Orlando. "We are very grateful to the
lifeguards who first spotted this little guy struggling in the
water under the pier and called authorities for help. We are
equally grateful for our partners in the Southeast Stranding
Network that handled the rescue and delivered him into our care.
While he still has a long road to full recovery, we're proud of the
great progress he has made so far. He has captured everyone's heart
and we are thrilled to invite animal lovers everywhere to vote on
their favorite name for him and join us on his journey of hope and
resiliency."
"Caring for rescued dolphins long-term requires a great deal of
commitment from experienced and dedicated professionals," said Erin
Fougères, Marine Mammal Stranding Program Administrator at NOAA
Fisheries Southeast. "We're grateful for the ongoing support of
organizations like SeaWorld and other members of the Southeast
Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network, without whom these stories
of rescue and survival would not be possible."
Baby Dolphin Remains in Critical,
but Stable Condition as His Prognosis Continues to
Improve
The dolphin's age was estimated at two months or less when he
was found struggling and tangled in the remnants of trap lines on
July 20th, 2022.
Once freed from the entanglement by members of the Southeast
Stranding Network, they attempted to release the dolphin back into
open water to reconnect with his mother who did not return.
Unfortunately, the dolphin was unable to swim on his own and, after
consulting with NOAA, it was decided that the dolphin required
off-site rehabilitation.
Considered a neonate, the rescued bottlenose weighed just around
57 pounds (mature adults weigh in at more than 300 pounds) with no
erupted teeth and was still nursing. Though breathing on his own
upon arrival at SeaWorld, he was unresponsive and in a coma. He was
immediately moved into intensive care and less than 30 minutes
later SeaWorld's on site laboratory and veterinary team diagnosed
the cause of his catatonic state, isolating his critical condition
to a life-threatening electrolyte imbalance, pneumonia, and serious
injuries to his fins from prolonged lack of blood flow due to the
restrictive lines in which he had become entangled.
The veterinary and animal care specialist teams worked around
the clock, providing hour-by-hour critical medical care, adjusting
water salinity and walking with him in the pool supporting his
weight until he regained the strength to swim on his own. He
learned to take a bottle for feedings of special neonatal dolphin
formula developed by SeaWorld. The dolphin has been receiving this
specialized care from SeaWorld veterinary staff for nearly nine
weeks. He continues to progress in his physical recovery,
recovering from his respiratory illness and undergoing medical
procedures to remove necrotic tissue resulting from his injuries.
He has gained more than 10 pounds since his arrival.
Dolphin Rehabilitation is an
Intricate and Complex Process
Rehabilitation and medical treatments are highly specialized and
challenging due to a variety of factors including logistics,
physiology, and anatomy. The experience gained by providing care to
such a diverse set of species, critical care to rescued animals,
and specialized care to neonatal and geriatric cases as is typical
in a zoological setting like SeaWorld, provides insight and
knowledge into overall animal health and wellness needs that cannot
be replicated by the study of animals outside of human care
alone.
Compared to other species, dolphin rehabilitation is extremely
challenging due to the fragile nature of dolphin health and the
high mortality rates dolphins face when ill or injured. The first
two weeks of dolphin rehabilitation are critical and are usually
indicative of the dolphin's prognosis. Through years of extensive
research and experience, SeaWorld has revitalized the dolphin
intake process and developed a unique dolphin care system that
involves conducting medical tests and procedures immediately upon
intake, substantially increasing survival rates among rescued
dolphins. SeaWorld animal care experts discovered that by using
minimal assistance techniques and encouraging dolphins to use their
own muscle mass, it helps dolphins build strength and results in
increased rates of successful rehabilitation. Through this process,
SeaWorld veterinarians and animal care experts were able to help
the dolphin begin to swim on his own and learn to suckle from a
bottle relatively quickly.
Once he makes a full physical recovery and reaches an ideal
weight, the dolphin will move from his critical care pool
where he is monitored 24x7 to join a pod of dolphins in residence
in the SeaWorld Orlando park with whom he is combatable.
Assimilating into a social group will help him acquire
interpersonal skills and provide the interactions he needs to
thrive. When he has settled into his new pod, the public will be
invited to come and see him in the park.
SeaWorld's goal is always to return rescued animals to their
natural environments. However, certain health conditions can make
survival without human care unlikely or impossible. In those
instances, wildlife authorities determine whether an animal can be
returned and if not, accredited zoos and aquariums, like SeaWorld
provide long term care and permanent homes for those in need.
This dolphin's situation, while tragic, is not an isolated
incident and serves as an important reminder of the dangers that
'ghost fishing' poses to marine animal life. Fishing nets, traps,
long lines, ropes and other gear lost or abandoned in the ocean
trap and kill thousands of marine animals every year. It is
essential that the public does their part to maintain clean and
safe waters – free of debris, trash and fishing equipment – to keep
marine wildlife safe and healthy.
About SeaWorld Parks &
Entertainment
SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment is a leading theme park and
entertainment company providing experiences that matter, and
inspiring guests to protect animals and the wild wonders of our
world. The Company is one of the world's foremost zoological
organizations and a global leader in animal welfare, training,
husbandry, and veterinary care. The Company collectively cares for
what it believes is one of the largest zoological collections in
the world and has helped lead advances in the care of animals. The
Company also rescues and rehabilitates marine and terrestrial
animals that are ill, injured, orphaned, or abandoned, with the
goal of returning them to the wild. The SeaWorld® rescue
team has helped more than 40,000 animals in need over the Company's
history. SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. owns or licenses a
portfolio of recognized brands including SeaWorld®,
Busch Gardens®, Aquatica®, Sesame
Place® and Sea Rescue®. Over its more
than 60-year history, the Company has built a diversified portfolio
of 12 destination and regional theme parks that are grouped in key
markets across the United States,
many of which showcase its one-of-a-kind zoological collection. The
Company's theme parks feature a diverse array of rides, shows and
other attractions with broad demographic appeal which deliver
memorable experiences and a strong value proposition for its
guests.
Media Contact:
MediaRelations@SeaWorld.com
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SOURCE SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment