An uShaka Sea World rescue of a stingray from the Durban Harbour
We wonder if she was trying to help find Nemo?
Hearing about the passion for the ocean is not something that is new to us. We are quite familiar with the preservation and conservation efforts that involve saving our sea life, and, of course, we support all efforts when it comes to being pro sea life.
On that note, we have to admit that we love any experience that we get to have with the ocean's family. From hearing about the sharks through the Sharks Board team to wanting to pay a visit to the Dolphins at uShaka, we love how energetic and interesting our sea life is.
So when we heard about this Female Round Ribbontail Ray, also known as a stingray, that got trapped at the Naval Base Salisbury Island, we had to find out what her story was. The kid in us definitely thought that perhaps she was looking for Nemo, but, no, that was not the case.
A large stingray had become trapped in the old submarine dock on Salisbury Island (Naval Base). Initial attempts to assess the ray’s condition were unsuccessful as the water was cloudy and far too dirty to see the ray. The harbour police continued to check on the ray over the weekend and, thankfully, on December 6, the conditions improved to such an extent that they were able to confirm that the ray was alive.
Then the team at uShaka Sea World got their things together and went out on their rescue mission. It is absolutely amazing to hear the way they managed the rescue mission. It just shows that as humans we can co-exist with animals and work with their best interests at heart.
"The team climbed down a rope ladder into the water, which was about 3m deep, before they guided the stingray onto the specially designed stretcher. It needed to be hoisted out of the water by a crane. The ray was then carried to the adjacent slipway by stretcher and released." (Highway Mail)
Although the conditions in the submarine dock were not ideal, we could not standby and watch this magnificent animal in trouble without trying to assist. I am grateful to the harbour police, the navy and my amazing colleagues who assisted in this unique and well-executed rescue operation.
Image Courtesy of Unsplash Website