JEDDAH: Government teams and volunteers have rescued 10 spinner dolphins stranded in shallow waters near King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) on the Red Sea coast, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Ahmad Al-Eiada, deputy minister at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, said officials attended the scene as soon as the alert was raised.
They led rescue teams composed of members of the coastguard, Saudi Wildlife Authority, KAEC and volunteers.
Radda Al-Zahrani of the ministry’s aquaculture division in Jeddah said the teams tried to encourage the animals to swim back to the open sea, but the weather conditions and animals’ behavior forced the teams to move them mechanically.
Divers, who were among 20 persons who participated in the operation, said the fact the dolphins moved in groups made the rescue easier.
A spinner dolphin is one of three types that live in the Red Sea. A spinner dolphin can weigh up to 79 kilograms.
