Cambridgeshire: One of the two common dolphins has died

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) shared the sad news on its social media platforms yesterday evening (Sunday).  

The animal was trapped in reeds and the charity’s specialist medics, with support from Cambridgeshire’s Fire and Rescue Service, had tried to save its life.  

Crews from Cambridge, Littleport and Ely were called to the scene - but the animal died in the early hours of Sunday morning.  

BDMLR is now searching for the whereabouts of the second dolphin, which is thought to be the deceased’s mother.  

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue called Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue to assist the trapped dolphin. (Image: Abs Ginimav)

Earlier this week, the two common dolphins thought to be a mother and her young cub, were spotted near Downham Market in the River Great Ouse.  

They then made their way along the New Bedford River through Welney and Mepal to Earith.  

But the BDMLR said at around 7:30pm on Saturday night (September 2) it was alerted to a common dolphin trapped in reeds.  

It was located at the edge of the New Bedford River and near the Hundred Foot Bank at Pymoor.

A post on the charity’s Facebook page 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. 

“BDMLR Medics assessed the scene upon arrival and understanding the complications of a rescue of this nature, called upon the Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service for support and additional help and equipment.  

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

“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.” 

The pair were seen swimming in the River Great Ouse at Earith earlier this week. (Image: Simon Stirrup)

The difficult situation meant a vet was called to the scene, and the dolphin was euthanised on welfare grounds at around 1am.  

The post continued: “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. 

“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. I 

“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. 

“We would like to thank Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service for their unwavering support throughout the incident, and to BDMLR Medics James Bryan, Abs Ginimav and to Becky Carter for a long unplanned night on the river.” 

The pair of common dolphins spotted were understood to be a mother and her well grown calf. (Image: Simon Stirrup)

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue said: "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.”

It is believed to be one of the only times common dolphins have made their way into Cambridgeshire waters.  

One was spotted in the River Nene, near Wisbech, in 2020.  

• READ MORE: Earith: Common dolphins spotted in the River Great Ouse

Common dolphins can also be referred to as short-beaked common dolphins.   

According to The Wildlife Trusts, they are an offshore species but often come close to shore to feed.   

Its website says: “They are highly social and normally found in groups, travelling at speed and frequently leaping from the water.   

“They feed mainly on fish and will work together to herd their prey into a ball.”