Bea, a juvenile Atlantic bottlenose dolphin calf, has bonded with her caretakers after spending a month at the Texas State Aquarium’s Second Chances Wildlife Rehabilitation facility. SeaLab staff said she’s healthy and in good spirits. Courtesy Photo
A 6-month-old lost and separated from her parents, Bea was in grave danger on her own. Luckily, vigilant beachgoers noticed the young Atlantic bottlenose dolphin stranded alongside a South Padre Island jetty and quickly called for help. The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network sprang into action, and within hours, plans were underway to transport her to the Texas State Aquarium’s Second Chances Wildlife Rehabilitation facility, colloquially known as SeaLab, in Corpus Christi.
“We’re the closest long-term care facility in the area,” said Texas State Aquarium spokesperson Kara Hahn. “We’re in a good location. We’re the closest place many animals can go.”
SeaLab mostly serves shorebirds, raptors and hawks in need but often helps sea turtles stunned by cold waters. Whale and dolphin cases aren’t unheard of, and the facility has even played host to at least one manatee. Shadow and Kai, the aquarium’s resident dolphins, recently spent some time at SeaLab as construction on the Caribbean exhibit began.
Since arriving at the facility on June 21, Bea has received around-the-clock care from SeaLab’s team, including full-time veterinarian Dr. David Stelling, a vet tech and two to three full-time rehabilitation staff members. Bea is still getting in her front teeth and, for the time being, must be bottle-fed by hand six times per day.
“She swims right up when she knows it’s time to eat,” Hahn said. “She’s really starting to bond.”
The first 48 hours after recovering a beached marine mammal are critical. Each response is a joint effort, usually led by a team from the marine mammal stranding network that performs an initial health assessment and designates a facility for short- and long-term care. At this stage, it isn’t clear whether an animal has any hidden internal injuries, so keeping close watch is vital.
“Apart from some lacerations on the top of her body, which weren’t very deep, Bea appeared in pretty good health,” Hahn said. “We’re really excited that she’s been doing really well ever since the beginning.”
Eventually, the goal is to return the animal as close to its original location as possible. Until that time, Bea’s journey back to health will be shared on the Texas State Aquarium’s website and Facebook page.
“We’re here to provide the best care we possibly can,” Hahn said. “The National Marine Fisheries will actually end up deciding what the long-term diagnosis is. Right now, she’s so young, we still just don’t know.”
