IMAGES: Sergio Betancort
The dolphin that was found stranded this Friday on a beach in Puerto del Carmen has died in the pool of the Hotel San Antonio, where it was transferred to try to recover it. It was an adult female Atlantic spotted dolphin, who was probably pregnant.
Vidal Martín, president of the Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands, received a warning before 1:00 p.m., after several people spotted the dolphin on the coast of Puerto del Carmen. "It was stranded on the rocks and we took it out of the water. We took him to the Hotel San Antonio because it was right in front," he told La Voz.
In the salt water pool of this hotel, Vidal Martín assessed the animal and, finding it so sick, decided that the best thing to do was to sacrifice it so that it would not suffer. "She was very disoriented and sick, but we will have to wait for the necropsy to know exactly why she was in that state," he indicated. The necropsy will also confirm whether she was pregnant. Thus, he explained that these animals "usually have brain lesions caused by parasites." "This will also be confirmed by the necropsy," he indicated.
At first, the possibility was considered that another calf could be sick near the coast and the Seprona has been trying to find it. However, it appeared to be a member of the deceased dolphin's pod, who would be trying to help her return to the group.
Vidal Martín wanted to thank the staff of the Hotel San Antonio because "they have behaved very well and have given us permission to transfer the animal to the pool from the first moment". For their part, the hotel has expressed great regret at the end of this dolphin and have indicated that the clients who have been able to see the animal in the pool are also sad.
In addition, they have indicated that the hotel management has tried from the first moment to help this animal, providing the pool so that it could recover, something that has finally not been possible.
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[They find a stranded and sick dolphin in Puerto del Carmen and transfer it to the pool of the Hotel San Antonio to try to recover it->75158]