Dolphins Still Up the Creek
By Jennifer Smith, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
Jan. 18–Rescuers are planning another try to get several stranded dolphins out of a shallow East Hampton creek after winds yesterday caused organizers to postpone the effort.
Concerned that freezing 20-mph gusts could endanger boat rescue teams, organizers opted for a day of observation yesterday. Some monitored the dolphins in Northwest Creek’s choppy waters, while others searched nearby shorelines for stragglers.
On Tuesday, rescuers managed to shoo at least eight of the animals through a narrow inlet leading to Northwest Harbor. At the time, officials thought that only five to seven of the 20 or so dolphins first spotted in the creek last week remained there, but more appeared there yesterday.
“We have counted approximately 11 animals still in the creek,” said Mendy Garron, northeast regional stranding coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
She said some observers thought the other dolphins may have eluded detection earlier because they had moved farther up the creek. Officials said it is difficult to get an accurate count because the dolphins are moving in turbulent waters.
Forecasts of diminished wind for today had rescue organizers optimistic about launching another attempt to guide the dolphins into open water.
“The weather is looking good,” said Chuck Hamilton, regional supervisor of the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s natural resources office.
Yesterday, the dolphins in the creek appeared to be swimming “strongly” and moving in a group, although more slowly than before, said Charles Bowman, president of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation.
Rescuers previously had voiced concerns that the marine mammals may be running out of food. Asked why volunteers didn’t try to feed the dolphins, Bowman said marine mammals have to be trained to eat dead fish. “It’s simpler to get them out,” he said.
No new dolphin fatalities were reported yesterday, Hamilton said. Six dolphins have died in the creek and nearby waters over the past week; results from postmortem examinations are not yet available.
Scientists aren’t sure why the dolphins swam into the creek, except possibly to follow small fish they eat for food. To get a better idea, researchers are gathering regional data on water temperature and prey, Garron said.
Samples from the Long Island necropsies were being tested with those from dolphins and other marine mammals that died earlier this month off Cape Cod, which has seen more than 30 strandings this year.
“All the samples were sent in together so we can get an overall picture and see if there is anything in common with these mortalities,” Garron said.
—–
Copyright (c) 2007, Newsday, Melville, N.Y.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.