The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rescued a baby dolphin stranded close to shore on a Florida beach on the 4th of July, and all their efforts were captured on video.
In Redington Beach on Friday, beachgoers enjoying the holiday spotted the four-foot dolphin struggling in the water, caught in the tide too close to shore and unable to swim back out through the waves, the Daily Mail reported.
A few onlookers attempted to help the juvenile back into deeper water, but the strong current foiled their efforts.
Eventually, a team from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived and took the dolphin out of the water. They are now caring for the dolphin, with assistance from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Beachgoer Katie McCabe was able to make a video of the moment when the team brought the baby dolphin out of the surf and on to the sands as a crowd of onlookers gathered there.
According to Uncover California, dolphins or whales that find themselves stranded are usually sick or suffering from an infection. Pneumonia and parasites are among the most common causes in beached dolphins, though weather and human activities are also factors in strandings.
A team of scientists part of the Dolphin Communication Project, who are devoted to studying these marine animals, say that dolphins that find themselves stranded on beaches are in serious trouble.
Scientists speculate that strandings occur because the animals are unable to properly see sloping beaches until it is too late. They panic and end up running themselves aground. Others believe their sonar, which they use to navigate, has something to do with it.
In a recent study published in the journal Marine Mammal Science, researchers suggest the answer lies in their blood. During the 10-year study, they found that dolphins that didn't survive stranding were anemic and had lower levels of red blood cells compared to those that did survive.
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