You won't believe the miracle recovery of the sunburn dolphin who was marooned on a beach
BRITAIN's most famous dolphin is jumping for joy after recovering from horrific sunburn.
These incredible photographs of Spirtle the bottlenose dolphin show how she defied the odds when she got marooned on a beach.
Rescuers managed to return Spirtle to the waters of Scotland’s Cromarty Firth in a fraught operation in the summer sunshine last year.
Spirtle was left with horrific sunburn from her ordeal but when she was photographed by Whale and Dolphin Conservation field officer Charlie Phillips last week she looked in fine fettle, gambolling in the waves and playing with seaweed.
Little more than a year ago things looked bleak for Spirtle when she was picture languishing on mudflats covered in towels to keep her moist as rescuers waited for the tide to turn so she could be returned to the seas.
The story itself is a remarkable one and illustrates the recovery capabilities of dolphins that we are still learning about
Dolphin watchers Lorraine Culloch and her partner Mike Robertson saved the four-year dolphin’s life by a stroke of good fortune when their satnav sent them to the wrong beach, allowing them to spot the dolphin languishing and raise the alarm.
Horrific images later emerged of Spirtle with red raw flanks caused by the sun but because of the composition of dolphin skin she survived burns that would have killed other animals.
For Mr Phillips, who has been monitoring Spirtle’s recovery over the months, the latest opportunity to see the dolphin at such close range was something to treasure.
He said: “She is just wonderful.
“Normally she is a bit shy about approaching boats but she and a few others were almost pushing the Aberdeen University research boat out of the way after a great game of seaweed throwing.”
University of Aberdeen researchers have been monitoring Spirtle since her ordeal and it hoped that she may one day breed, bolstering the 200-strong bottlenose pod that patrol Scottish waters.
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WDC’s Danny Groves added: “As an organisation that works to protect the dolphin in the Moray Firth, we are thrilled to see Spirtle thriving.
“The story itself is a remarkable one and illustrates the recovery capabilities of dolphins that we are still learning about. Not only is Spirtle’s skin healing amazingly well, the dolphin’s swimming pattern is returning to normal with a straight and true trajectory instead of a pronounced lean to the right when she’s travelling.”