THERE WAS an unusual sight for anyone out for a stroll in the Wildfowl Reserve at lunchtime on Saturday when a live dolphin was found stranded at Ardcavan.

The dolphin, a 1.8m female, found itself stranded in less than a foot of water, with her pectoral fins stuck in the sand. The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) were contacted and local member Frank O’Brien went to the scene to see what could be done to help.

He said: “The initial fear was that the dolphin was in ill health as this is normally the case with live strandings. However, upon assesment and consultation with the IWDG strandings officer the dolphin was deemed to be in a healthy condition and an attempt would be made to return it to deeper water. “

Mr. O’Brien and Kevin McCormack then lifted and carried the dolphin on a sheet to deeper water and slowly released it.

Mr. O’Brien said: “The dolphin was very tired and initially didn’t move away prompting fears that it was too exhausted to swim and would drown. Happily the dolphin then started to swim around her rescuers and eventually off to the deeper channel in the harbour.”

The dolphin initially swan torwards Wexford town but then seemed to get her bearings and made her way out towards the harbour mouth. Her rescuers along with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Wildfowl Reserve kept an eye on her for about 45 minutes until they eventually lost sight of her near Raven Point.

If you see a stranded whale, dolphin or porpoise please contact Deirdre Slevin on 087 1319001 and report it on their website www.IWDG.ie.

The IWDG will be giving a talk on their work throughout the country in Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club on Wednesday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. All are welcome and attendance is free.