Baby Bea nurses from a bottle at the Texas State Aquarium’s Second Chances Rehabilitation Hospital in Corpus Christi. Bea died after seven weeks at SeaLab where she making progress, swimming on her own and responding to feeding cues. Courtesy Photo
Named Bea by her caretakers, the 6-month-old dolphin calf found beached in South Padre Island in late June died Tuesday, August 11. By the end of July, Bea was reportedly making a solid recovery according to a spokesperson for the Texas State Aquarium. She was swimming on her own at the aquarium’s Second Chances Wildlife Rehabilitation facility, known as SeaLab, in Corpus Christi. She received around-the-clock care at SeaLab, including bottle-feeding six times a day.
“While deeply saddened by the calf’s passing, we are incredibly proud of the care the TSA and TMMSN teams provided, said veterinarian David Stelling in a news release. “The calf never would have survived as long as she did if not for the expert care provided by [the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network and SeaLab].”
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.
Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network is exactly what its name suggests. The group initially rescued the dolphin from the shores of South Padre Island, bringing her to SeaLab for care. Anyone finding a stranded marine mammal should call 800-9-MAMMAL.
SeaLab’s role was to provide the best care possible, said aquarium spokesman Kara Hahn. The aquarium hoped to eventually return Bea to her home waters where she could possibly link up with a pod of dolphins. A necroposy will be performed, but results will not be available for several weeks, reported the aquarium.
