Fisherman spots dolphin calf tangled in line, dragging weights
Comments 3NAVARRE -- A boat captain 12 miles due south of Navarre Sunday spotted what he described as a juvenile dolphin swimming with an adult in an area known to fisherman as the Timberholes.
The calf was wrapped in fishing line and trailing about 20 feet of weighted line, according to the captain.
Now local marine stranding rescue experts are hoping someone spots the pair again and photographs the calf so that its condition can be evaluated. If necessary, a team might be sent out to rescue it, said Steve Shippee, who heads up the Marine Mammal Stranding Team for the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge.
"These animals in the gulf that are out there in the deeper reefs, they're not the same dolphins that we see closer to shore," said Shippee, who has been studying dolphin behavior for the last two years. "They usually come up and approach fishing boats. It wouldn't be unusual for someone to spot this animal again.
"That would be a good thing," he added.
Anyone spotting the calf should call the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge at 650-1880 or email Shippee at shippee3@earthlink.net
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