A young dolphin stranded on a sandbar in a tidal creek near Ridgeland in Jasper County was safely guided back to open water on Sunday evening after volunteers with the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network responded as dusk settled in.
The Sunday evening rescue was one of two dolphin strandings that the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network responded to, and the fourth marine mammal stranding response in the last 10 days, according to the organization.
LMMN said it received a report from a concerned local resident about a live dolphin stranded on a sandbar during low tide. Four trained LMMN volunteers responded to the scene.
Volunteers worked to keep the dolphin upright and its skin wet while waiting for the tide to come in. As water levels rose, the team guided the animal off the sandbar and back into open water.
Earlier the same day, LMMN said volunteers responded to a report of a deceased dolphin in the same area.
“A massive thank you to our Beaufort crew for the quick response and our Charleston team for standing by. 4 responses in 10 days; our team doesn’t stop,” LMMN said in its Facebook posting.
LMMN reminded the general public that marine mammals are federally protected and should not be approached, pushed or returned to the water without guidance from authorized responders.
Anyone who encounters a stranded, injured or deceased marine mammal along the South Carolina coast is asked to contact them at 1-800-922-5431.
Because your support matters, consider a tax deductible donation to help LMMN keep their mission going: https://www.lowcountrymarinemammalnetwork.org/donate
Dolphin strandings are common here along the Lowcountry coast. Dolphins get stranded in marsh and tidal creek environments due to a mix of intentional hunting behaviors (strand feeding), navigational failures, and health or environmental issues.
A big thanks to volunteers with Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network for their hard work and dedication.
