Monterey Bay dolphins narrowly escape squid net

Several dolphins had a close call in the Monterey Bay Monday.

While out on a whale watching tour with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, the crew and passengers saw several Risso’s Dolphins stuck in a squid net struggling to get loose. Onlookers on the tour panicked when the fishermen noticed the dolphins in the net and tried to release them while keeping the squid they caught. They were able to release all the dolphins, but the impact it may have had on them isn’t clear.

“The dolphins were probably really stressed because they were pulled out of the water and they were struggling to breathe, but no,luckily the fishermen did a really good job and got them out of the nets. It took them awhile because it’s a huge net and they had to push the buoy line down. So yeah, the dolphins were ok, probably just stressed out,” said Monterey Bay Whale Watch Marine Biologist Nancy Black.

Squid fishermen usually do their work at night, when dolphins are not hunting for squid. The fishermen appeared to be from Alaska and may not have known the Risso’s Dolphin’s tendencies. The incident was reported to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.