ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld said it has fully rehabilitated a stranded Atlantic bottlenose dolphin after almost one year of care.
Officials said a 26-year-old male dolphin was recovered in late July 2019 in the Florida Keys.
He was found stranded and weak in shallow waters. Officials said the dolphin was rescued and taken to SeaWorld Orlando’s rehabilitation facility.
SeaWorld said that after performing diagnostic tests, it learned the dolphin had pneumonia and showed significant weight loss.
During his several months at SeaWorld, officials said he made a full recovery.
“We are very pleased with this dolphin’s healthy recovery given the state upon which he arrived,” said Jon Peterson, vice president of zoological operations at SeaWorld Orlando, whose team cared for the dolphin during rehabilitation. “This story has been a true collaboration and we are thankful to have worked closely with many dedicated partners. We are so proud to have led both the rehabilitation and successful transport to his new home.”
In early spring, officials said the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association granted approval to return the dolphin to the ocean.
But the return was delayed because the COVID-19 pandemic closed some partner organizations, SeaWorld said.
Officials said they continued to care for the dolphin and detected the presence of a new infection. They said SeaWorld is one of the few facilities able to detect the condition.
The park said the dolphin was reexamined and NOAA changed its decision.
Photos: SeaWorld Rescue rehabilitates stranded dolphin
Officials said it is always their goal to release rescued animals back into the wild, but based on the results of the health assessment and hearing tests conducted by NOAA personnel, the dolphin was determined to be nonreleasable.
SeaWorld took the dolphin to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where he will live another male dolphin who has also been deemed nonreleasable by NOAA, officials said.
NOAA encourages people to report sightings of dead, injured or entangled dolphins and whales to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-3922.
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