Rescuers free dolphin from shallow Cape May County creek

    Photo: By Aude Steiner - Self-photographed

    Photo: By Aude Steiner - Self-photographed

    A dolphin is once again swimming freely in open waters after rescuers successfully freed the marine mammal yesterday from a Cape May County creek.

    The adult male bottlenose dolphin was caught in a shallow creek in Middle Township after it swam several miles from the Delaware Bay, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. 

    “This is another tidal creek with lots of mud, which makes for a risky rescue,” the organization’s Sheila Dean said yesterday. 

    After an hours long operation, the dolphin was captured and returned to the Delaware Bay yesterday evening.

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    “We’re all exhausted from this day!” the Brigantine-based non-profit organization posted on its Facebook page last night. 

    Dolphins becoming stranded in shallow waterways is not uncommon in New Jersey. 

    Last August, a dolphin swam into the shallow South River from the Raritan Bay. It later died after rescue efforts. In April, crews successfully rescued a porpoise from a Keansburg creek. 

    The Marine Mammal Stranding Center relies on donations to support its mission. 

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