Indo Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops aduncus
Kyra is a rescue Dolphin. Rescued in July 2014 on Mainbeach, Gold Coast. She was approx. 1 year old at acquisition. Current age at time of this photograph approx. 3 years old.
At the time of the rescue her mother was present and the initial rescue plan was to capture the mother as well so they could be released together, however things did not go to plan.
Kyra was impaled on a hook on a drumline, her panic a during the rescue and the damage it potential could cause with the hook internally meant SWGC decided they didn't have the luxury of time as well as adding to the panic and stress, to capture the mother.
Along with internal injuries (the hook missed vital organs by millimetres) Kyra also had a shark bite between her blowhole and dorsal fin and lost most (maybe all) sight in one eye from drumline chain rubbing her eye.
As Kyra was rescued at such a young age she was deemed un-releasable.
© Jaxybelle Photography
