Dolphins stranded in Louisiana pond during 2021’s Hurricane Ida rescued, returned to ocean
It was dolphin-itely time.
A mama dolphin and her young calf were saved from a Louisiana pond after historic flooding from Hurricane Ida carried the helpless mammals away from the ocean two years ago.
Heartwarming footage showed a team of rescuers attempting to place the dolphins on a tumble mat in the pond system before bringing them to land. The dolphins were then carried in an orange tarp to a vehicle and driven to the ocean and released.
The pair were presumed out-of-habitat due to storm surge and coastal flooding from Ida, according to the Audubon Coastal Wildlife, which released the footage of the operation that involved multiple organizations.
“CWN has been monitoring the pair for more than a year, waiting for the calf to be old enough to move to an area with access to open water,” the organization said in a statement. “The pond where the mother and calf were found had ample food supplies, salinity and tidal flow but did not have pathways to the Gulf of Mexico.”
The transfer from the pond to the Gulf happened June 17.
Storm surges and flooding tied to severe weather have commonly caused marine life to get washed ashore to land or into inland bodies of water like lakes, ponds and canals, the nature institute said.
“Animals may be found in these areas for weeks to months following the hurricane, requiring rescue by trained and authorized responders to return them to their natural habitat,” the organization said.
Hurricane Ida’s wrath began when it slammed Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2021, with winds that reached up to 150 mph and moved its way along the East Coast. Dozens of people in the US were killed by the powerful storm that also caused billions in property damages.
