Thursday, August 09, 2007

Deaf dolphin has been adopted!

A deaf Atlantic bottlenose dolphin has found a new home in a natural seawater lagoon that is also a research and education facility.

Visitors can pay to swim with the animals at Dolphins Plus lagoon, the new home of Castaway.
The dolphin was found stranded off Vero Beach in November and was later deemed healthy enough for release. But instead of swimming offshore, Castaway returned to the beach three times. The dolphin was then transported to the Keys and diagnosed to be deaf.


Castaway gave birth to a calf in June, but the baby died three days later. An animal necropsy showed no apparent cause of death.

Because the National Marine Fisheries Service considers Castaway to be rehabilitated, the agency said she either had to be released or transferred to a facility that displays, not rehabilitates, dolphins.

Quick "Facts about Dolphins"