Dolphin Calf 'Bliss' Found With Spear in Side Saved

A dolphin calf named Bliss appears to be on the road to recovery after it was found with a five-pronged spear in its side.

The 15-month-old dolphin was spotted swimming on April 30, in the Dawesville Cut, near Mandurah, Western Australia. A gidgee spear—a sharp tool often used in spear fishing—could clearly be seen lodged in its body.

The calf was still swimming and moving despite the injury. The Western Australia Parks and Wildlife Service said in a Facebook post on May 2 that researchers were keeping an eye on the calf, and had observed it swimming and feeding with its mother, with the spear still in its side. However, it said conservation officials didn't plan to intervene to remove the spear as they hoped that the spear head would dislodge in time.

The Parks and Wildlife Service said in an update on Friday that the spearhead had dislodged, apparently naturally, from the dolphin calf's side. "The wound does not appear to be impacting the calf's movements so far and it's displaying normal behavior," it added.

The Western Australia Parks and Wildlife Service, Volunteer Dolphin Rescue Group Estuary Guardians and community River Guardians had all posted about the calf on their social media pages to draw attention to the issue.

"We have never seen this before in Mandurah and hope we never do again," a spokesperson for Estuary Guardians told Newsweek.

Announcing the "promising news" about the spear being dislodged, the Parks and Wildlife Service said: "We would like to thank everyone who has helped in getting the best possible outcome for the calf, also known in the community as 'Bliss,' including Dr Nicholson from Murdoch University, Estuary Guardians Mandurah, volunteers and the Mandurah community."

The extent of the dolphin's injury is unknown, but the Parks and Wildlife Service said: "We will continue to keep an eye on the dolphin calf and are hopeful that it will make a full recovery."

Spearfishing is banned in inland bodies of water, but it is allowed in the oceans of Western Australia.

It is not certain how the injury occurred and officials from the Western Australia Parks and Wildlife Service are looking for more information.

Jason Menzies, of the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, told ABC Australia that while the cause of the injury is not certain, it could have been deliberate.

"We would hope that that is not the case because, obviously, that's animal cruelty," Menzies told the news outlet. "Whether it was confused by a spear fisherman for a shark ... in murky water, we're not too sure."

Bliss belongs to a group of 19 dolphins studied by researchers, meaning they are monitored regularly.

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