Although the two turtles and one of the dolphins were rescued, sadly, one injured dolphin died before it could be taken to the Phuket Marine Biology Centre.
One injured turtle was washed up on Kamala beach yesterday (Sept 16) and second today (Sept 17). Both were rescued and taken to the Phuket Marine Biology Centre at Cape Panwa where it announced that they were both Ridley turtles that they had been injured by discarded fishing nets.
Dr Patcharaporn Kaewmong, a vetarinarian from the Phuket Marine and Coastal Resource Research & Development Institute said, “The turtle we found today is about 10-15 year old and was very sick and weak when it was found on the beach. We are having its blood checked to see if it has an infection.
“It looks like the turtle has had no food for many days. It kept coming back to shore when rescue workers tried to push it back out to sea. The waves were too strong and the weather conditions, due to tropical storm VAMCO, made it worse.
“We think it got trapped in a fishing net which resulted in a cut to its left flipper. It is a good thing that rescue workers transported it here fast. If they hadnʼt it would have died,” Dr Patcharaporn said.
“At this time of year the island has a number of turtles which get washed up on the beach. Some have been injured by fishing nets, while some get sick becuase they have eaten plastic. Some have also eaten jellyfish which cuases them to get a blood infection.
“A young dolphin was washed up at Nai Thon beach yesterday, but lifeguards helped push it back out to sea,” Dr Patcharaporn added.
Kusoldharm rescue workers and Phuket Marine Biology Centre officials were called to Nai Yang beach at 4:20pm yesterday to assist with recuing a dolphin which had washed up on the beach there.
Rescue workers and swimmers helped bring the dolphin to shore where it was found the dolphin had a fresh wound on its right fin.
The dolphin was said to be a female weighing about 80 kilos and between 1.5-2 metres long. Officials from Phuket Marine Biology Centre gave the dolphin medication before attempting to transport it to the centre. However, it died not long after it had been taken off the beach.
Phuket Marine Biology Centre officials said that they will examine the body of the dolphin to find out the cause of death as this is the second dolphin they have found in the past two months which has been washed up on the beach and has died because it was either sick or injured.