VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A serendipitous encounter between a professional photographer and a jogger helped rescue a baby male dolphin near the jetty in New Smyrna Beach on Wednesday morning, after the animal was found visibly stressed.
Shelley Lynch said she was on New Smyrna Beach taking photos of the sunrise – in the same spot that she has every day since 2018 – when a jogger notified her of the distressed dolphin around 7 a.m.
Lynch, who lives in New Smyrna Beach, knew what to do next because she also wades into the Indian River Lagoon daily to photograph dolphins and has come to know many of the animals through her work.
She also knew exactly who to call. After pulling the calf from the water, she called the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute and received instructions on how to proceed until help arrived.
Eventually, Volusia County Beach Safety came to the scene along with Volusia County Environmental and the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute to stabilize the young dolphin. Responders said the animal appeared highly distressed when they reached him.
The story doesn’t end there. You see, Lynch is also Dr. Shelley Lynch, a licensed mental health counselor.
Dr. Lynch said she uses a technique in her practice called craniosacral therapy which used a hands-on technique that can provide relief from pain and other ailments.
You can see Dr. Lynch using the technique to calm the baby dolphin in the below photo and the photo at the top of this story.
Lynch said she got into photography because she had a dream where her late husband told her, “I want you to have a Canon professional camera for Christmas. Let’s go shopping.”
Sometimes, things just happen for a reason.
“It’s healing that happened today,” Lynch said. “The whole thing is truly sacred.”
The dolphin was taken to SeaWorld for further care and evaluation, officials said.
To see more of Lynch’s photography, click here.
SeaWorld Orlando released the below statement about the dolphin:
SeaWorld Orlando was called to respond after a baby bottlenose dolphin was discovered stranded earlier today in New Smyrna Beach.
Our team worked alongside partners on site and under the guidance of NOAA Fisheries to assess the animal and determine next steps.
The dolphin has since been safely transported to SeaWorld Orlando, where it is currently in critical condition and receiving around-the-clock care from our Rescue and veterinary teams.
SeaWorld has one of the world’s largest marine animal rescue and rehabilitation programs and has helped rescue more than 42,000 animals over the last 60 years. Our role in situations like this is to provide emergency care in coordination with government authorities and stranding partners, with the shared goal of returning animals to the wild whenever possible and appropriate.
The dolphin is undergoing comprehensive medical evaluations to better understand its condition. The cause of the stranding remains unknown. SeaWorld Orlando will continue to work closely in partnership with NOAA and the southeast stranding group as the dolphin’s care continues.
SeaWorld Orlando