Stranded: Mother dolphin and her calf rescued from Hilton Head creek at low tide
Lifeguards on Hilton Head Island are usually tasked with looking out for humans’ safety on the island’s beaches.
On Monday, they saved a pair of dolphins’ lives.
A mother and her calf were stuck in Fish Haul Creek on the island’s north end Monday afternoon after they traveled inward to fish. When the tide rushed out, they were stranded, said Jerry Staub with Shore Beach Service.
The pair were stuck in only one foot of water, making it difficult for them to breathe.
When nearby neighbors noticed the splashing from the dolphins, they called Shore Beach Service, which dispatched lifeguards to guide the dolphins back to sea.
Staub said a lifeguard got into the water and walked behind the dolphins so they wouldn’t head further inland. It took about two hours of observation and redirecting to get the mother and her calf back to Port Royal Sound, he said.
While neither of the dolphins appeared to be injured, they started to tire from the thrashing, he said. Had they remained stuck in the shallow water for too long before the tide came back in, the dolphins would have died.
Low tide is often a prime time to see dolphins, according to dolphin-watching tours on the island.
“As the tidal creeks empty out, they are pushing massive quantities of baitfish such as mullet, grunts, and pinfish into the the main creeks, along with bigger fish like sea trout, flounder, and redfish,” according to hiltonheadtides.com. “This is an ideal opportunity for dolphins to enjoy a buffet in the shallow creeks. Just imagine having the same amount of fish in just 10% of the water that was there at high tide.”
But most don’t get stuck.
“This was my first time dealing with that,” Staub said.
