Cape Town - NSRI Emergency Operations Centre were alerted by an eye-witness of two dolphins beached at Sandy Bay, near to Llandudno.
Both dolphins were alive and appearing to be in distress, NSRI Bakoven deputy station commander, David Rosenberg said.
Table Mountain National Parks rangers, SPCA inspectors, and City of Cape Town Marine Animal Stranding Network (CTMASN) were activated to assist.
“During initial assessments by authorities, it was deemed possible to transport the dolphins out to sea in the hopes of releasing them at sea or to swim the dolphins through the surf in the hopes to corral them out to sea.
“NSRI Bakoven duty crew launched the sea rescue craft, Gemini Legend, and NSRI Bakoven and NSRI Hout Bay rescue swimmers responded to the scene,” Rosenberg said.
“The services on the scene carried the dolphins into the surf, using specialised stretchers, where the dolphins were floated.
“They were apart at that stage and the members that were on the scene, in a joint effort, brought the two dolphins together by carrying them to a suitable place in the shallow surf where they floated together,” Rosenberg said.
NSRI rescue swimmers assisted by a Marine and Coastal Management officer, corralled both of the dolphins through the surf line, swimming them to deeper water, and at the backline breakers the dolphins were released in deeper water.
“Our NSRI Bakoven rescue craft, Gemini Legend, followed the dolphins for a while, they headed in the direction of Hout Bay.
“The dolphins appear to be healthy and swimming strongly,” Rosenberg said.
“While we are cautiously optimistic that the rescue has been successful, the coastline will continue to be monitored over the next few days but hopes remain that the dolphins do not beach again,” he said.