Newfoundland town fixated on plight of trapped dolphins
HEARTS DELIGHT, N.L. — A small Newfoundland community has become fixated on the plight of six dolphins trapped by ice in its harbour.
Wayne Ledwell of the Whale Release and Strandings Group said heavy ice off Heart’s Delight has cut off the exit route for the white-beaked dolphins, leaving them stranded in a pool of open water.
“They won’t go through the ice. They’re staying well clear of it and they know exactly where it is and exactly what danger it is to them,” Ledwell said Wednesday.
“These are small animals of 300 or 400 pounds and they can’t navigate that ice. It will kill them if they get out into it.”
Ledwell said the pool has shrunk this week as temperatures dropped and more water froze over, but a local resident helped break the ice with a speedboat.
He said dozens of residents have been flocking to the harbour this week, eager to check on the dolphins, which have been stuck since Sunday.
“These dolphins belong to this community now,” said Ledwell.
Wanda Worthman, who lives in the area, said the community of 650 people is worried about the dolphins’ well-being, considering they will remain trapped unless the winds shift and move the pack ice out of the harbour. She said the dolphins appeared to be in good condition on Wednesday.