Quick action saves the day for lucky dolphin

Local resident Shane Carter was a quick thinker when he came to a rescue of a stunned dolphin along Grayton Beach in South Walton on Jan. 7, 2011.

Here is Shane’s recap of what happened:

“We saw a large group of dolphins at Grayton. The were very active. Lots of jumping/ splashing.  A couple hours later this one came rolling up through the surf.  We ran out and held it’s blow hole up for 20 or 30 minutes. It was pretty cashed. The Park Service called rescue people. Volunteers showed up. Before rescue crew arrived it sort of came around and wanted to swim out. We let it. A few minutes later the rest of the dolphins joined it.”

Shane said all the dolphins swam off.

“I hope they swam off into the sunset, but I realize life can be a bit more complex than that at times.  We did our part while we could.”

Shane Carter and his wife Marla are Santa Rosa Beach residents and avid photographers. You can find out more about their work at marlaandshane.com.