MARIGOT--Réserve Naturelle is mulling over what to do with an injured dolphin that was spotted Tuesday swimming back and forth close to the shore of Baie Rouge.
“It is a small Great Dolphin and very young and skinny,” said scientific officer for Réserve Naturelle, Julien Chalfour. “A week ago it was seen around the bluff north of Baie Rouge. The left side of its tailfin is damaged and it is obviously having difficulty feeding itself. It has little chance of survival without the milk from its mother which builds the immune system and antibodies over five months.
“The prognosis from the French vet is not good. Ideally we would like to get it out of the sea to treat it in a pool or adapted basin and then release it into the wild again but there is no health care centre for marine mammals here. Taking it out of its natural habitat is stressful and taking it to Anguilla would be long and difficult because of the CITES regulations. Maybe we will have to leave it in the water and give it treatment that way.”
Chalfour said the Réserve is trying to establish how the Dolphin got separated from its pod and if an attack by a predator was the reason. He added he could not be certain if an attack was the cause of the tailfin injury.
Réserve Naturelle Director Nicolas Maslach who is currently in France, but is being kept informed of the situation said he was certain the dolphin had been driven to shore after being attacked, probably by a shark, and it was seeking refuge in shallow water away from predators.
Maslach is appealing to Rotary and other organisations or individuals for the loan of a swimming pool or adapted basin to treat the mammal. All costs will be picked up by the Réserve. Maslach can be contacted on his St. Martin number (0690) 38.77.71.
