Port River dolphin Doc has been freed in an intricate rescue after being caught in fishing line for six days
After an intricate rescue mission, Doc the Port River dolphin has been freed after being hooked on a fishing line for six days.
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After being hooked by a fishing line for at least six days, Port River dolphin Doc has been freed in an intricate rescue mission.
Dolphin watcher Jenni Wyrsta noticed the fishing hook in the nine-year-old’s mouth near Garden Island on Saturday.
“It was visual, you could easily see the fishing hook there in the side of his mouth,” Ms Wyrsta said.
She immediately contacted rangers to report the entanglement.
Waiting for favourable weather conditions, rangers attended the Port River on Friday morning just before 8am, and successfully removed the hook about 11.30am.
“It was remarkable the were able to get out and get that out of him quickly. It’s something we feel like celebrating because he’s free now, and he can get on with his day to day things without a hook in his mouth,” Ms Wrysta said.
She has been keeping a close eye on Doc since noticing he was suffering an unknown health problem at the end of last year, when he became noticeably thin.
She was relieved Doc was free, as becoming entangled in a fishing line can cause a dolphin to die of starvation.
In 2019, much-loved Port River dolphin Star died after an entangled fishing hook embedded in her throat, resulting in a large abscess.
The sanctuary lost two dolphins at the end of last year from suspected boat strikes, including adult dolphin Marianna and calf Galaxy.
Marianna Boorman, another local dolphin watcher, said she was grateful to everyone who made the rescue a success.
“It is important that people reel in their line when dolphins are nearby and make sure to discard any unwanted fishing fear and rubbish in the bin,” Ms Boorman said.
She urged people not to feed dolphins.
“It is illegal and leads to them hanging around boats and people fishing, increasing the likelihood of them being hit by a boat or caught in fishing line.”
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