Another Dolphin Stranded in Ilocos Town

Badoc, Ilocos Norte (PNA) — Barely two weeks since coastal residents and first responders help rescued and released a stranded dolphin here, another male young spinner dolphin was beached in Torre village here at about 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Arthur Valente, Fisheries Regulatory Coordinator of the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) said several trained responders near the area observed and provided care at the stranded dolphin for two hours then it was released at 7 p.m. on the same day.

Stranded dolphins in the different parts of Ilocos Norte is no longer new for residents here as the PAO, along with representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Provincial Veterinary Office and local fishers organizations here were trained how to respond to a stranded marine animal in distress.

Last July 6, the same group of rescuers released ‘June Roberto’, a male rough-toothed dolphin that was stranded in nearby Gabut Norte here.

For two weeks, the group rehabilitated the said dolphin until it gained its strength and went back to the wild.

Considered as a hot spot in terms of marine mammal stranding cases in Luzon, Ilocos Norte has urged the public and local authorities here to extend help should they find one.

He reiterated marine animals get stranded when they flee fishermen hunting them or get sick as a result of polluted environments.

They also get stranded when they try to flee bad weather, dynamite fishing or get lost in their search for food.

In the past, Valente said cases of stranding were unreported because locals were unaware about the endangered species. (PNA) JMC/LGA