Dolphin calf tangled in fishing net off Scilly saved

A dolphin calf found tangled in fishing nets has been saved by the crew of a boat off the Isles of Scilly.

The short beaked common dolphin was spotted and picked up by the wildlife trip vessel 5.5 miles (8.8km) south west of Bishop Rock on Sunday.

Joe Pender, skipper of Sapphire Pelagics, said they thought the baby was dead but then cut it free and released it to flee with its mother.

A rescue charity said the dolphin was "incredibly lucky" to survive.

Mr Pender said he believed it would have died if it had been left for much longer.

He said they were out on a bird-watching trip when they saw the struggling mammal.

He said: "We just came across this young dolphin, it was only about 4ft (1.2m) long so it was probably born this year... and there was an adult dolphin nearby which we assumed was the mother... and it was entangled in netting.

"We thought it had already died and then we noticed it moving so we moved the boat back alongside it and managed to get hold of the netting.

"We pulled it aboard the boat and managed to cut it free and let it back in the sea again."

Mr Pender, a former lifeboat crewman, explained: "There was plenty of movement and life in it... but I don't think it would have lasted very long if we hadn't come across it."

He said the mother was "hanging around the area where this youngster was" and "probably in some distress".

He added that the calf "seemed absolutely fine" once it was set free and "went off with its mother very quickly".

Dan Jarvis, from British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said: "This was an incredibly lucky dolphin to have been found out at sea and disentangled, as clearly it stood little chance of survival otherwise."

Mr Jarvis said the quick actions of the people on board made all the difference for the survival of the dolphin.

He said: "Dolphins and whales that are alive and entangled or stranded should be reported to the hotline of British Divers Marine Life Rescue as assistance including veterinary advice can be provided over the phone and trained volunteers can be deployed in emergencies with specialist equipment when needed."

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