IN PICTURES. Rescue operation of 17 dolphins stranded on the island of Ré

Shortly before 10am, an alert was given after the discovery of 17 dolphins (including three young) stranded in the mud on the coast of La Couarde-sur-Mer (Île de Ré).

Nearly 30 people mobilized to save the marine mammals completely trapped in the mud at low tide at the place called La Moulinatte in The Couarde-sur-Mer. IThere were people for this operation : 19 firefighters, the municipal team of La Couarde, the municipal police, the gendarmerie, the eco-guards of Saint-Martin de Ré, members of the PELAGIS laboratory as well as three SNSM team members.

For three hours, the rescuers acted fairly quickly to hydrate the dolphins while the tide came back in. While waiting to put them back in the water, furrows were dug around them to keep the area moist, but also around the youngest of them and their mother to reassure them. The ecoguards and other rescuers covered the mammals with damp sheets and fabrics so that they would not dehydrate. It was essential to make as little noise as possible, because dolphins are extremely cardiac.

The solution of towing offshore was quickly ruled out, because the area was muddy and this operation would have increased the stress on the animals.

After three good hours of effort, the 17 dolphins found the open sea again with the rising tide. Only one dolphin died (perhaps before the arrival of the rescue services). Its carcass was taken to the PELAGIS laboratory in La Rochelle to carry out a necropsy.

This is a phenomenon that is happening more and more often. It is not usual, but it is not very rare either.

Paula Mendez Fernandez

Doctor of Marine Ecology – PELAGIS Observatory

At the moment, the reasons for this stranding are unknown. Paula Méndez Fernadez indicates that they were probably hunting, and during the low tide and the oyster beds, they would have been trapped.

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