Octavius the dolphin, named after the veterinarian who cared for him appears to be thriving after being released back into the wild off Louisiana’s coast, approximately 2 months ago. Having recently been spotted, he now stands a good chance of survival following months of rehabilitation. The male dolphin was thought to have become stranded as a result of rough seas during Hurricane Patricia. When found he was lethargic and weak but after months of care, Octavius passed the medical clearance, showing no signs of abnormal swimming, breathing or diving behaviour and was returned to the Gulf of Mexico on April 28, on the recommendation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that the state and Audubon Nature Institute monitor him for six weeks after release due to the fact there were some concerns as he was a relatively young dolphin when found. Biologists used two kinds of transmitter tags to locate Octavius so they could monitor him and see that he was healthy.
With the fate of so many stranded dolphins being one of being deemed non-releasable, resulting in them being transferred to a permanent captive facility – it is heartening to know that, fortunately for Octavius, he will not be one of them and that has been given the opportunity to live in his natural environment once again.
