Dolphin rescued in Boracay Island

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The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Boracay Island led by Forester Joannette S. Opeda, together with the management of the Boracay Newcoast, facilitated the rescue of a stranded adult male Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostis).

The assistance was carried out at Boracay Newcoast, Brgy. Yapak, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan in the late afternoon of January 23, 2023.

The subadult dolphin measures about 1.7 meters in length with an estimated weight around 40 kilograms. It suffered minor scratches during a physical assessment by the CENRO Boracay personnel.

“Around 5pm we received information from the Boracay Newcoast management about the struggling dolphin wandering around the keyhole beach side as seen by their lifeguard. But because of the strong current in the keyhole, we decided to transport the dolphin to a calmer sea area, around 3 kms away from western seaboard of Boracay island,” CENRO Opeda recounted.

CENRO Boracay also acknowledged the help of Russel Palmer, President of Boracay Water Sports Association and the Fairways and Blue Water, for his immediate response and provision of the transportation for the dolphin rescue.

“After the release of turtle hatchlings in Boracay Island, the rescue and release of a Spinner dolphin took place. The DENR lauded the effort and coordination of our stakeholders in the island of Boracay for an active participation in terms of biodiversity protection and conservation,” said DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.

“The DENR 6 encourages the public to report such events and happenings to the authorities for proper assessment and handling of our precious wildlife,” RED Duran added.

Spinner dolphins are most frequently encountered aquatic mammal in near shore waters of the Pacific Island Region. They are known as the most acrobatic among dolphins and are known for their habit of leaping out of water, then spin up to seven times before falling back into the water.

As a protocol in rescuing marine mammal and to prevent further stressing out the dolphin, a blanket/towel heavily sprinkled with water was used to cover over its body. (DENR-6)