Helping hands: Samsuar (right) and Teluk Kumbar Fishermen Unit chief Roslizan Ramli helping the stranded mammal near the shoreline in Teluk Kumbar, Penang. — Photo courtesy of local resident Muhammad Azril Ariff
GEORGE TOWN: Several fishermen managed to rescue a distressed dolphin at Teluk Kumbar near here.
One of them, Samsuar Hasshim, 46, said he received a call from a friend who sighted the dolphin near the shoreline at around 5.30pm on Tuesday.
The 1.5m-long dolphin was seen struggling with the currents close to shore and seemed distressed.
Realising something was amiss, the fishermen gathered a small team to guide the dolphin back to deeper waters.
Samsuar said it was no easy task as dolphins are known to be quick, elusive and fiercely intelligent.
“But there was something different about this one.
“Instead of panicking, it seemed almost resigned, too weak to swim back out on its own, but still strong enough to move cautiously.“Using a sunshade net, we gently coaxed the dolphin into a calmer position.
“The entire process took us about 40 minutes before we coaxed it out to sea,” he said.
Samsuar said this was the first time that a dolphin was found alive near the shoreline in Teluk Kumbar.
He said there were instances when the mammals died after getting entangled in fishing nets.
Dolphins have been seen in Penang waters over the years.
According to MareCet, a non-governmental organisation that researches aquatic and marine mammals in Malaysia, there are at least 27 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Malaysian waters – based on records of live sightings and dead ones.
The ones which are spotted in Penang are mainly the Irrawady dolphins, usually in the island’s northwest.
