Marine rescuers form human chain to guide dolphin out of Florida creek

Jan. 23 (UPI) -- Marine rescuers in Florida teamed up to help a dolphin stranded alone in a creek for more than two weeks.

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium said in a Facebook post that personnel joined forces with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to rescue a dolphin first spotted in a Clearwater creek Jan. 1.

The aquarium said the dolphin appeared to be unable to find its way back out of the creek and rescuers were concerned that prolonged human interaction would endanger its ability to survive on its own in the wild.

The NOAA Fisheries Service made the decision to mount a rescue and joined with the aquarium and FWC to create a human chain of 28 rescuers in the water to guide the dolphin to the creek's exit.

"We're thankful to the residents in the area who worked with us to help protect the animal from harassment and provided access to their property while we monitored and rescued the animal," the aquarium's Facebook post said.