Barry Students and Staff Save the Dolphins

Barry students and staff aid in rehab of stranded dolphins through Marine Animal Rescue Society.

“It was amazing!  I felt their heart beat when I held them!”  Marsha Thompson, a junior in Barry University’s School of Natural and Health Sciences (SNHS), could barely contain her excitement as she stepped out of a cold pool in Virginia Key last Tuesday.  In this pool are two dolphins, Notch and Nia.  They are two of about 80 rough-toothed dolphins who beached themselves off Marathon, FL, on March 3, 2005.

Local papers have raised the possibility of navy submarine sonar being to blame.  A mass stranding event can also be caused by things like a toxic algal bloom in the ocean, or a few sick animals leading the pod (group of dolphins) onto shore.

While the cause has not yet been pinpointed, the fact is that nearly 80 animals beached themselves.  While at least 20 of them made it back to sea, 28 have died.  A total of 26 are in rehabilitation facilities throughout Florida.  One such dolphin rehab is the one in Virginia Key, where Marine Animal Rescue Society (MARS) volunteers work 24 hours a day to nurse the sick dolphins back to health.

MARS works to rescue, rehabilitate, research, and educate the public about stranded marine mammals.  Marsha is one of the several Barry students who were formally trained by MARS.  SNHS juniors Shannon Schmitt and Esther Young, and Arts and Sciences freshman Beth Williams (who wants to be a dolphin assisted therapist), are also trained.  The group was put together by MARS volunteer and Barry staff member Helena Giannini.

All five ladies have lent many hours to the rehabilitation of Notch and Nia, donning layers of wetsuits and taking turns in the frigid pool.  One of the most notable tasks is what is known as “walking” the dolphins - holding the animal and swimming it around the pool.  This is done to conserve the animal’s energy to boost its immune system.  Marsha describes this as “the most amazing experience [she has] had to date.”

Ms. Thompson, an environmental science major, is in the Barry-NOAA Program.  Through this program, she will be doing an internship in dolphin research at the Mote Marine Laboratory.  She reflects: “when I got into that tank, I thought… this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Barry-NOAA Program coordinator Helena Giannini is starting a Barry-MARS response team.  Its goal is to have everyone at Barry involved with MARS in one network, like an emergency phone tree.