White sided dolphin dies in Bressay stranding
WILDLIFE professionals in Shetland are keeping a close watch on a pod of four or five white-sided dolphins after one of the animals appeared to get stuck between two rocks and died.
They were called to Bressay after the two metre long mammal was found stranded just south of the island’s marina on Tuesday.
Karen Hall of Scottish Natural Heritage’s Lerwick office said the remaining animals were in no immediate danger of stranding, but tended to “hang about” when one of their companions had died.
“White sided dolphins are well use to the deeper waters of the oceans. Because Shetland sits right at the edge of the Continental Shelf we see them quite regularly around our shores,” she said.
“The pod is in no immediate danger. As long as they stay out of the marina they should be well capable of leaving the area.”
Pete Bevington of Hillswick Wildlife Sanctuary added that the dead animal had not been put in a body bag and will be sent to Inverness to establish the cause of death
Meanwhile, a flotilla of smaller boats will try to encourage a lone pilot whale to leave Vidlin Voe later on Tuesday.
The mammal was discovered in the relatively narrow fjord-like inlet at Shetland’s north mainland on Monday.
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