Volunteers Rescue Stranded Dolphin Near Ridgeland
Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network volunteers freed a young bottlenose dolphin stuck on a sandbar in a tidal creek.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Emergency Response
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Volunteers with the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network rescued a stranded young bottlenose dolphin near Ridgeland on Sunday, November 8, returning it to open water once water levels rose. The rescue came as the nonprofit responded to four marine mammal strandings within 10 days.
Why it matters
Marine mammals are federally protected, and rapid response by trained volunteers can determine whether a stranded animal survives. The string of strandings along South Carolina's coast highlights the demands placed on local responders.
Four volunteers arrived at the tidal creek and mobilized a stretcher to move the dolphin, which was stranded on a sandbar during low tide as daylight faded. The organization's response record includes four strandings in 10 days, and the cause of the Georgetown County humpback whale's death remains undetermined.
The players
Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network
A nonprofit organization that responds to stranded and dead marine mammals along the South Carolina coast, relying on trained volunteers.
The details
The dolphin was found on a sandbar in a tidal creek near Ridgeland. Volunteers kept the animal upright and its skin wet while transporting it on a stretcher, and returned it to open water after water levels rose. Earlier that Sunday, the group had also responded to a deceased dolphin in the same area.
Timeline
Last week: Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network responded to a deceased humpback whale in Georgetown County.
Sunday, November 8: Volunteers responded to a deceased dolphin earlier in the day, then rescued a stranded young dolphin near Ridgeland.
Seasonal Patterns
Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, stranded marine mammals fall under federal protection, placing volunteer responders such as the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network in a formal role on South Carolina's coast. The four strandings within 10 days fit the pattern of coastal response work that these volunteers carry out.
Anyone who spots a stranded or dead marine mammal on the South Carolina coast should keep a safe distance and contact local responders rather than attempting a rescue alone. Because marine mammals are federally protected, interfering with them can carry legal consequences.
The takeaway
Coastal wildlife rescues depend on trained volunteers who can act quickly when animals strand at low tide. Staying aware of marine life near shorelines helps those responders reach animals in time.
Further reading
For more on how local groups respond to disasters across the state, see Emergency Response coverage for South Carolina.
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