Though it’s a dream of mine to see dolphins up close, I’d never wish for one to wash up on shore.
It goes without saying that their lives are put at serious risk when they’re separated from the sea and, usually, without human assistance, it’s impossible for them to return to water.
One baby Heaviside dolphin picked exactly the right moment to end up on the beach; the moment kayaker Naude Dreyer happened to be leading a group along Walvis Bay in Namibia.
According to Time, Dreyer stumbled across the beached dolphin and, thinking fast, was able to return it to its proper environment.
Heaviside dolphins appear similar to a small orca, or killer whale, and can grow up to 6 feet in length.
They’re commonly found off the coast of Namibia and South Africa are are usually social creatures that swim in groups of 5 to 10.
Despite being relatively small, they can still weigh a lot, and so it’s impressive to see Dreyer managing to lift the stranded dolphin up and return it to the ocean.
He later posted the video to Facebook and wrote: “I’ll do a drive past the same area again later just to make sure he hasn’t returned again.”
Benguela Dolphin released back into the ocean
On our way back from tour this morning, we came across this juvenile male Benguela Dolphin, still alive on the beach. It's not clear how he ended up on there in the first place. After a quick assessment and measurements, i attempted to get him swimming again. I was not very hopeful, but as soon as he got into water and realized where he was he took off like a bullet. Nice. I'll do a drive past the same area again later just to make sure he hasn't returned again.To use this video in a commercial player or in broadcasts, please email licensing@storyful.com. Possible proceeds from this clip will be donated to Red Cross Children's hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, where Naude's 5 year old daughter is currently receiving treatment for cancer.To support Nina directly, we have set up a GoFundMe page at https://www.gofundme.com/helpingNinaThank you all for your unbelievable support.
Posted by Pelican Point Kayaking on Wednesday, June 8, 2016
What a good guy Naude is. SHARE this article to pay tribute to him for saving this dolphin’s life!
