The 15 Pacific white-sided dolphins became stuck in a small pool that was less than a metre deep.<\/p>\n
A pod of white-sided dolphins escaped unharmed from a small tidal pool near Qualicum Beach on Saturday after being trapped in the shallow water for about 12 hours.<\/p>\n
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans said the 15 Pacific white-sided dolphins were \u201cisolated\u201d during low tide in water that was less than a metre deep. At about 6:15 p.m., the dolphins successfully crossed the sandbar with the incoming tide and returned to deeper waters on their own, said the federal agency.<\/p>\n
The dolphins drew several onlookers after photos were sent out on social media over the weekend, and the DFO had officers on site to ensure everyone kept their distance \u201cto avoid further stressing the animals,\u201d said spokesperson Michelle Rainer.<\/p>\n
The situation was unusual \u201cfor this otherwise highly mobile species,\u201d said Jared Towers, executive director of Bay Cetology, a leading researcher of marine mammals based in Alert Bay.<\/p>\n
The small size of the tidal pool on the gravel beach \u2014 which was smaller than a school soccer pitch and very shallow \u2014 made this case a rare one, said Towers.<\/p>\n
He said the dolphins were either chasing fish when the tide went out, or the pod was seeking a safe place to escape from mammal-eating killer whales.<\/p>\n
\u201cEither one could have been the case here,\u201d Towers said, noting dolphins often go near shore for fish.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the Salish Sea is also filled with Bigg\u2019s killer whales, and they might have been looking for a safe, shallow place to hide.\u201d<\/p>\n
Towers said he\u2019s seen cases of marine mammals being entrapped on parts of the North Island \u2014 sometimes for a week at a time \u2014 but those instances have involved much larger tidal lagoons.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a small tidal pool on the beach,\u201d said Towers, adding he was relieved to hear that all 15 dolphins escaped.<\/p>\n
He also noted that entrapments are much different than strandings, which happen when whales and porpoises become grounded on beaches and shorelines, often with fatal outcomes.<\/p>\n