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Desperate battle to save hundreds of stranded and disoriented dolphins in shallow waters of Philippines By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:05 PM on 10th February 2009

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Up to 200 dolphins were beached in the shallow waters of Manila Bay in the Philippines today, prompting a massive rescue by hundreds of volunteers and fishermen to drive them back to deep seas.

Fishermen and villagers trooped to the beach and waded into the chest-deep water, clapping their hands and hitting the surface to drive the dolphins away. More than 20 boats with their engines shut guided the animals back out to open waters.

The unusual occurrence may have been triggered by a sea quake that could have damaged the dolphins' eardrums and disoriented them said  Malcolm Sarmiento, director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, in a telephone interview.

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Rescue mission: Villagers rush to the aid of up to 200 dolphins who were beached in the shallow waters of Manila Bay  in the Philippines today

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Stranded: Fishermen in boats try to guide the dolphins back to deep seas

The pod might also have been following a sick or wounded leader

The melon-head dolphins were spotted about a mile off shore, swimming back and forth between Pilar and Orion townships in Bataan province.

Fishermen and villagers trooped to the beach and waded into the chest-deep water, clapping their hands and hitting the surface to drive the dolphins away. More than 20 boats with their engines shut guided the animals to the open sea.

'It's something unusual. It's the first time that such a large pod has entered Manila Bay, and is acting strangely,'
Sarmiento said earlier.

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Unusual occurrence: The 'disoriented' melon-head dolphins were spotted about a mile off shore, swimming back and forth

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Beached dolphins are not uncommon in the Philippine archipelago but rarely occur in such big numbers

Alberto Venturina, the provincial veterinarian, said three dead dolphins found beached farther up north in Abucay township include two adult females, one of which was pregnant, and an infant male. The two adults had damaged eardrums, he added.

Another beached dolphin was in the process of being rescued.

Dolphins with injured eardrums become disoriented, cannot dive for food and are too weak to swim and just flow with the current, he said.

If it's a sick leader, the animal needs to be identified and taken out of sight of the rest of the pod so the healthy dolphins could be prodded back to sea.

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Villagers waded into the water clapping their hands and hitting the surface to drive the dolphins away

Venturina added that fisheries officials were co-ordinating with private groups and fishermen to stop the dolphins from being beached and prevent more deaths.

Wardens are positioned around the area and fishermen warned not to harm the dolphins.

Beached dolphins are not uncommon in the Philippine archipelago but rarely occur in such big numbers.

Melon-head dolphins are considered threatened species - meaning they are likely to become endangered in the future.