It was decided to rescue the four weakest dolphins — Toni, Jackie, Noah and Kelly — first, said the NOAA press release. The first of these, Toni and Jackie, were rescued on Thursday, Sept. 15, followed by Noah on Friday and Kelly on Saturday.
The other four vanished on Sunday, Sept. 18, possibly because they were chased from the Port of Gulfport by either predators or wild dolphins, said the Marine Life Oceanarium's Web site.
Working with reports from the U.S. Coast Guard, the rescue team found the remaining dolphins — Shelly, Jill, Tamara and Elijah — Tuesday morning behind the Beau Rivage Casino near Biloxi, Miss.
"This rescue effort is a success story for all the partners involved and for the public who have taken such an interest in the plight of these dolphins," said Bill Hogarth in the NOAA press release.
The Marine Life Oceanarium, a landmark institution in Gulfport, Miss., had been home to 14 dolphins, 27 sea lions and 25 exotic birds. It was "completely destroyed" by Hurricane Katrina, according to the organization's Web site.
Name: Bottle-Nosed Dolphin (
Tursiops truncatus)
Primary Classification: Odontoceti (Toothed Whales)
Location: Worldwide
Habitat: Tropical coastal waters and open ocean.
Diet: Fish, crustaceans and mollusks.
Size: Up to 13 ft in length and 1,100 lbs in weight.
Description: Short bottle-shaped beak; conical teeth, tall dorsal fin; largest of the beaked dolphins; large brain
Cool Facts: It will aid fellow dolphins in distress, allowing them to breathe by supporting them at the water's surface. It is born with hair on its beak.
Conservation Status: Common
