A pod of common dolphins was rescued off Woodstown beach today.
Nine dolphins were refloated after getting into difficulty. Unfortunately one died.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin group coordinated the effort which began this morning. Kevin McCormac is the co-ordinator for the Waterford/ Wexford group. He told WLR News that they were alerted to the situation by
the Woodstown Bay Oyster Company who spotted the dolphins swimming close to the shore. Common dolphins are more familiar with offshore deep waters. Kevin said they were not entirely sure why they were in so
close. He said they were told there were some sholes of herring in the estuary and they may have been following their pray. He said it was unfortunate they lost one animal.
Kevin also pointed out that if members of the public do come across a live dolphin on the beach they should call the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group first for advice. He said it's vital they never drag the animal by its tail or
fins in an effort to get it back into the sea as this can cause damage. He said not all animals can be rescued, some are sick and near the end of their lives. The volunteers with the IWADG also assess the aminal to
determine if it is sick or healthy as only the healthy ones are re-floated. The dolphins refloated today will be monitored over the next few days.
