Sadness as dolphin calf spotted as far inland as Bluntisham on the River Great Ouse has to be put down

A young common dolphin that made its way inland with its mother as far as Bluntisham in the River Great Ouse had to be put down after becoming trapped in reeds.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue team were called at about 7.30pm on Saturday (September 2) to the New Bedford River at Hundred Foot Bank, near Pymoor, which runs off the Great Ouse, after the calf was spotted in trouble.

Its medics assessed the scene and called in Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to help and provide equipment, due to the complicated nature of the rescue. Crews from Cambridge, Littleport and Ely responded, helped to locate the dolphin and sought advice from the Environment Agency and Internal Drainage Board, which manage water levels.

But after managing to extricate the dolphin and releasing it back into the river in the hope that it could find its mother again, the rescuers found it was making little effort to swim and was being carried back to the riverbank and reeds.

A vet was then called and the dolphin was euthanised for welfare reasons at about 1am on Sunday morning.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity said: “The young dolphin is thought to be one of a pair seen as far inland as Bluntisham over the last few days, around 45 miles from open water.

“The dolphin had wedged itself deep into the reeds, which have thick hollow stems and can grow to five metres high, making the task of extracting the dolphin even more difficult.”

Firefighters, wearing in-water equipment, used sleds to get to the other side of the riverbed to assist and cut back the reeds to help release the dolphin.

The charity continued: “With the reeds cut back and the dolphin now out of the water and on our dolphin rescue raft, a full assessment was carried out and first aid measures applied to the stressed animal.

“There was some minor visible trauma to the dolphin's dorsal area and its breathing rate was elevated. The young dolphin was almost certainly maternally dependent and would need to be able to find its mother if it were to have a chance of survival, but with no sightings of an adult in that area of the river, it was looking more likely that they had become separated before the calf stranded.

“With the uncertainty of whether the mother was in the river and just out of human sight and hearing, and with the dolphin's breathing returning to normal parameters, the decision was made to refloat the dolphin in the river, and observe for as long as possible in the low light in case it were to restrand.

“The dolphin initially started to swim down river but quickly stopped and was carried back by the flow of the river to where it had started, the dolphin's course was corrected but again it made little effort to swim and was just being carried back to the river bank and reeds.

“With the fire and rescue service still on scene providing support, a veterinarian was called out and the dolphin was euthanised on welfare grounds at around 1am.

“The Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme and they will carry out a post mortem examination which will give us an insight into the health of the dolphin calf, and determine how long it has been in the river.”

The charity added: “We are still looking out for the other dolphin to track its movements and monitor its health. If she can find her way back out to sea without intervention that would be the preferred outcome. However, we are considering other options if we have further cause for concern over welfare.

“In the meantime members of the public are reminded that this species is protected by law from disturbance and should not be approached or interfered with in any way by water users as this may cause distress and difficulties with her current situation.”

The charity thanked Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service for its “unwavering support throughout the incident” and its medics James Bryan, Abs Ginimav and to Becky Carter “for a long unplanned night on the river”. The firefighters were on scene for around five hours before returning to their stations shortly before 1am.

The dolphins were initially spotted by photographer Simon Stirrup on Thursday and amazed onlookers in the area of Bluntisham and Earith.

County bird record Jon Heath told the Cambridge Independent: “It is far as they possibly could have travelled upstream along the river. As far as I know they have never been seen in this part of the river before, and it may be the furthest inland this species has been seen in the UK before.”

And Nicola Crockford, principal policy officer at the RSPB, even snorkelled with them at Brownshill Lock near Bluntisham. She speculated that they may have followed eels up the river.

Common dolphins, which are a relatively rare sight on the East coast, are more buoyant in seawater, meaning it is harder for them to swim in freshwater, and it may have proved harder for them to find suitable food in the river.

A fire service spokesperson said: “Crews were called to assist The British Divers Marine Life Rescue, who are experts in the field of rescuing marine wildlife.

“We respond to all kinds of animal rescues, but this one is an unusual one for us, as we don’t often see dolphins in our Cambridgeshire waterways.

“It was a challenging incident for those involved, firstly to locate the dolphin that had become trapped in reeds, as it’s a vast area, and the rescue team quickly lost light as the incident progressed.

“The welfare of the animals is always at the forefront, and firefighters were led by experts as to how best respond to the incident. Sadly, not all rescues have the outcome we hope for, and despite their best efforts, on this occasion, after an attempt to release it back into the water, experts advised that it would not survive on its own.”