Marine rescue organizations are urging fishermen to properly dispose of their gear after rescuing a bottlenose dolphin calf that had been entangled in fishing line for several weeks off the coast of New South Wales. The calf, estimated to be around 10 months old, was first spotted by local residents in Forster, swimming alongside its mother in late September.

Jessica Fox, vice president of the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), reported that drone footage later revealed fishing line wrapped around the calf's tail. "It had fishing line wrapped around its tail, which collected debris … and as the days and weeks went on more debris was getting caught up in it and the dolphin was becoming slower," she said.

ORRCA and other groups monitored the calf, which has a distinctive dorsal fin. A team from the Sea World Foundation, based in Gold Coast, traveled to Forster during the October long weekend to attempt a rescue. However, despite multiple searches, they were unable to locate the dolphin.

On October 11, the calf and its mother were spotted again, prompting the Sea World team to return to Forster. This time, they successfully reached the young dolphin. Claire Madden, head veterinarian for the Sea World Foundation, explained that the fishing line had become entangled in seagrass and algae, which acted as an anchor, causing the line to dig deeper into the calf's tail.

"It was a sad sight to see the injuries that a single strand of fishing line had caused to this individual, but it was the best feeling in the world to know we had removed it and given this little one a second chance at life," Dr. Madden said. She noted that the wound had a good blood supply, indicating the dolphin had a chance to heal. "I administered some medication before letting the dolphin swim off to reunite with Mum, who hung around for the duration of the operation," she added.

Dr. Madden emphasized the importance of responsible waste disposal. "Unfortunately, the ocean is a big place, and too often we get calls that animals need intervention and need help, but we simply can't find them, and it's one of the most devastating parts of the job," she said.

Fox expressed optimism about the calf's future, stating that it and its mother were expected to reintegrate successfully with local dolphin pods. "We are hoping to continue monitoring this dolphin as the weeks and months and years go by," she said.

Tiga Cross, managing director of Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary and leader of the fishing line waste removal project Seal the Loop, highlighted the broader issue of marine entanglement. She noted that approximately 1,500 marine animals become entangled in fishing line each year. "It is concerning we're having more entanglement issues across the board," she said. Cross pointed out that increased human activity and larger populations of marine animals could be contributing to the rise in entanglements. "Any type of rope, net, fishing line, plastic bottle is a risk of entanglement; the animal can't set themselves free, but they're also ingesting these objects," she added.