CMA asking for help locating 2 dolphins seen entangled in fishing line
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is asking the public to keep an eye out for dolphins entangled in fishing line, but urges them not get too close to the animals.
"It’s really heartbreaking to see animals effected by actions and things that we do," shared Kelly Martin, director of animal care at CMA. "If it is pulled through the water it can cut into their skin and cause a myriad of issues."
The aquarium says they are tracking sightings of one mom and one calf, from separate pairs of animals, entangled in a fishing line that has cut into their fins. The dolphins have been spotted in Tampa Bay and in the Gulf.
"The mother in particular, it’s cutting into her dorsal fin and she’s getting creative to try and free herself," Martin said. "But it’s caught debris and she’s not able to remove all of it. "
READ 16 years ago, Winter the dolphin was rescued from a crab trap line
The aquarium is working with other wildlife groups to locate and free the animals from the fishing line. They are asking people not to try and remove the line themselves, but rather to take pictures, record GPS coordinates and call the aquarium’s animal rescue hotline at 727-441-1790 if they see the dolphins.
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