Jose Ramón Pérez and Miguel Rodríguez after their dolphin rescue -SWSN
A video captured a heartwarming rescue after a pair of fishermen happened upon a juvenile dolphin tied up in fishing line.
Jose Ramón Pérez and Miguel Rodríguez were boating 10km off the coast of Almería, Spain when they found the animal tangled up, with its mother desperately trying to keep it afloat.
The baby’s tail was tangled in a rope that was pulling it underwater but the two men said its mother would not leave its side and kept trying to lift it up so it could breathe.
José Ramon, a warehouse worker, and Miguel, a greenhouse owner, wanted to help so they called local authorities, who put them through to Equinac, a local conservation charity.
“I saw something floating but it wasn’t actually floating at the surface. It was underneath,” said Ramón. “Miguel said it was a dolphin but I thought it was strange because it hadn’t moved at all.”
“The mother was trying to call us. When we got there she didn’t leave (the dolphin’s) side for a second.”
“She was holding its head up the whole time and the rope was even chewed.”
Mother dolphin attempts to keep her calf afloat – SWNS
Equinac concluded that the situation was too dire to wait for their arrival, so assisted the fishermen over the phone.
The rope was tied to an anchor and the dolphin, but with guidance from the charity the pair was able to cut the rope.
Ramón continued: “It was so hard to pull it up. I could feel it chafing our hands as we did it. They were panicked. The baby was thrashing around and screaming.
“When it did that, the mother seemed like she was scolding it and trying to calm it down.”
Little dolphin calf is seen trapped by anchor line – SWNS
“As much as I try I can’t express how it felt to be there. I will remember this for my whole life. it was a truly magical moment.”
Eva María Morón, a coordinator at Equinac, said, “If those boys hadn’t been there, the baby would have died. This animal owes them its life.”
Watch the video below…