Dolphin calf reunited with mother after being freed from fishing net

Marine rescue groups in Australia worked quickly to free a dolphin calf entangled in a fishing net, successfully reuniting the baby with its mother.

Video from the Organization for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans showed the July 24 rescue as teams from the Sea World Foundation, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Marine Rescue and ORRCA worked together to free the young dolphin.

According to ORRCA, the calf was spotted entangled in a braided fishing net, restricting its swimming in mid-June by members of the local community near Batemans Bay.

After more sightings, the groups planned a multi-agency rescue operation seen in the video above.

“With multiple vessels on the water and ORRCA drone operators and members assisting from the shore, the mum and calf were spotted just off MacKenzies Beach mid Thursday morning with the Sea World Foundation team managing to catch the calf and successfully remove the entanglement,” ORRCA told Storyful News.

In the video, the Sea World Foundation boat is dropped into the water, and the operation begins. The team found the dolphin calf and then used a drone to assess the situation.

An aerial view showed the baby dragging the fishing net behind it and its mother swimming nearby. 

Once rescue team members were in the water, they were able to get to the dolphin and cut the fishing line off the baby.

Another aerial video showed the mother and dolphin calf swimming away together, concluding a successful mission.  

“Mums picked it up!” One member of the rescue team said.

“They’re together.”