Beached dolphin returns to pod...with a little help!

A dolphin has been returned to a pod after beaching herself at Misty Cliff near Scarborough in the Cape Peninsula, said a Kommetjie vet on Saturday.

Michele Ledger said the dolphin had been found by fishermen early on Saturday morning.

The fishermen called surfers to help keep the dolphin upright and afloat until they could return her to the sea.

Ledger said that because of the high impact of the waves the dolphin had to be carried quite a distance to a boat slipway where it was calmer.

"We tried to swim her out, but she became confused and disorientated and tried to swim back to shore," said Ledger.

Started calling and calling

The dolphin was loaded on to a boat and taken out to sea after fishermen said they had seen a pod of dolphins offshore.

"Apparently she started going crazy on the boat, calling and calling."

Ledger said the best chances of the dolphin's survival would be to stay with the wild pod or she might become confused and beach herself again.

She said it was not known why the dolphin beached herself.