Mother dolphin and calf found stranded in Liverpool miles from the sea

Two dolphins that became stranded on a sandbank in the Mersey have been rescued after RNLI crews helped fly in a team of experts on a hovercraft.

The common dolphins - a mother and her calf - had been pecked by sea birds and suffered minor injuries as they lay beached near Speke, but were eventually able to swim away on the high tide after receiving care.

The pair were spotted in difficulty by a birdwatcher on Oglet Shore at Speke, who called the Coastguard on Sunday morning. With the sandbank inaccessible due to the state of the tide, Hoylake RNLI hovercraft and New Brighton RNLI lifeboat were tasked with heading to the scene.

The lifeboat stood by in the river while the hovercraft delivered two medics from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) to shore to save the stranded creatures.

BDMLR Area Coordinator Chris Cureton said: “On arrival, we found the mother and calf stranded and both had scavenger damage around their eyes and blowholes. The calf was lying on its side, which isn’t a good position for a cetacean. We immediately righted it and treated both animals. Despite their injuries, we hope that the mother and calf will make it.”

The RNLI crew assisted the medics in keeping the dolphins wet while first aid was given as the team waited for the incoming tide to cover the bank. They carefully moved the calf closer to its mother and the pair began to communicate.

As the tide covered the bank, the RNLI crew and medics boarded the hovercraft and watched as the dolphins began to float and then swim away in the deepening water.