'How Much Pain Did It Hurt?'... Rescue Team Removes Fishing Line Tangled on Dolphin's Tail

Jongdal before removing the fishing line
[Photo by Jeju Dolphin Emergency Rescue Team]

The Jeju Dolphin Emergency Rescue Team, composed of the marine documentary team Dolphin Man, the Marine Animal Ecology Conservation Research Institute (MARC), and Hotpink Dolphins, announced on the 30th that they successfully removed a fishing line entangled in the tail fin of a southern bottlenose dolphin named ‘Jongdal.’ The removed fishing line has been collected and is being preserved, measuring 250cm in length and weighing 196g.

After removing the fishing line, Jongdari
[Photo by Jeju Dolphin Emergency Rescue Team]

After the fishing line entangled in Jongdal’s tail was removed, the dolphin appeared noticeably freer while swimming; however, fishing lines still remain around its mouth and torso, requiring further removal. The rescue team stated, "We are taking every precaution to ensure safety during the fishing line removal process, aiming to minimize the impact on the Jeju southern bottlenose dolphin population. We are doing our utmost to remove the remaining fishing lines from Jongdal’s body so that it can live comfortably for the rest of its life in the Jeju sea."

Director Lee Jeong-jun, the Dolphin Man, holding the fishing line caught on Jongdal's tail
[Photo by Jeju Dolphin Emergency Rescue Team]

Jongdal was first spotted in early November last year swimming with fishing lines and other discarded fishing gear entangled from its snout to its tail. The rescue team reported this to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries on November 9 last year and received approval for marine protected species rescue on the 24th. Since the 29th, they have been conducting full-scale rescue operations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.