FRANTIC ATTEMPTS TO SAVE a stranded dolphin in Buckie Harbour failed on Monday when it beached itself and died after several hours.
Members of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDLMR) rushed to the scene following reports that the white-beaked dolphin had been circling inside the harbour for several hours.
Sadly, as they attempted to treat the stricken dolphin it mounted a lifeboat ramp and thrashed against the ground until it died.
Unlike the Moray Firth’s native dolphins, the white-beaked are a deep water species and was not commonly seen in local inshore waters. Cath Bain, who is co-ordinator for the Moray BDMLR said that the dolphin was clearly unwell and its condition appeared to indicate that it had not been eating properly for some time.
“There were no obvious injuries,” she said, adding: “But there were scrapes that it had picked up in the harbour. As soon as we got into the last section of harbour where the lifeboat is it just went straight up the slip and stranded.”
The dolphin was taken to Inverness to undergo a post-mortem examination to establish what caused it to act in such a distressed manner.
The BDMLR are dedicated to the rescue and wellbeing of marine animals in distress around the UK coastline. More information on their work can be found online at www.bdmlr.org.uk.