Dolphin Rescued from 3 Pounds of Discarded Fishing Gear In Texas

A dolphin was rescued near South Padre Island, Texas, last week after becoming entangled in more than 3 pounds of discarded fishing gear. Spotted at least three weeks earlier, the dolphin, called Tango, was located, and a large-scale disentanglement effort was made.

A crew from the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, SeaWorld San Antonio and SeaWorld Orlando worked together under a permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service to rescue Tango. The multi-agency team was able to capture the dolphin and remove the fishing gear — which included monofilament line, lead weights and hooks. After administering veterinary care the team was able to successfully return the dolphin back to the wild.

Tango was spared a terrible fate, but other dolphins are not so lucky. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation more than 300,000 whales and dolphins die as a result of being caught up in nets and fishing gear.

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