Community members rescue stranded dolphins in Canning, N.S.

Dolphins are pictured, trapped in the mud near the aboiteau in Canning, N.S., on Aug. 3, 2025. (Source: The Valley Eye Photography, Facebook)

Mary-Catherine Harrington was enjoying the long weekend with her children when her sister called about an emergency in her backyard – which happens to be the aboiteau in Canning, N.S. – a reclaimed farming marshland protected by earthen dikes against high tides.

“She said there were dolphins stuck in the mud,” Harrington said.

After the call, around 1 p.m. on Sunday, Harrington said she packed up her kids and got over to the house on Aboiteau Road where a “whole pod” of dolphins were trapped.

“I think there were 12 of them,” Harrington said. “It was really honestly one of the saddest things you’ve ever seen. They were almost completely submerged in the mud.”

Harrington said they contacted multiple resources for help including the Marine Animal Response Society (MARS), RCMP and even friends and family. It wasn’t long before a communal rescue effort descended on the mudflats where the dolphins were buried and others arrived to watch.

“They were literally trying to dig them out,” Harrington said. “After a while they had to give up to catch their wind.”

Harrington said the slick, chest-deep mud can be treacherous especially when the tide turns. Another hazard presented itself when a woman arrived to join the effort while her children watched.

“She was on her stomach crawling through the mud to get to a mother dolphin,” Harrington said. “She tied a rope around her tail and got smacked in the head at least once by her fin.”

Harrington said she was very impressed by the woman’s efforts especially after she freed one of the dolphins – a mother who was stranded beside her calf.

“Her kids probably think she’s super mom now.”

Other members of the community dug out two more dolphins, including the calf, but Harrington said they wouldn’t abandon the pod. She said some of the volunteers brought a canoe to try and slide some of the dolphins free.

“You could hear them crying for help,” she said.

MARS arrived from Truro, N.S., after about an hour, said Harrington, who left when her children got upset.

Heroic but misguided effort

MARS took a different strategy when they arrived in Canning.

“In the end, waiting for the tide to rise was the best course,” said Tonya Wimmer, the executive director of MARS.

Wimmer said despite the concern of overheating, they observed the dolphins in distress and, using their drone, determined they were all still moving. When the tide rose, their team worked with Huntley’s Diving and Marine Services in Kentville, N.S., to free the dolphins using the company’s boat.

“We’re pretty confident we herded all the animals back into the bay,” Wimmer said.

Some of the dolphins were stuck on their sides which can affect their ears and confuse them. Wimmer said they held some of them and rocked them for a while to correct the imbalance.

“They don’t know which way is up,” she said.

The rescue operation was ultimately a success and Wimmer said the efforts of the brave people in Canning were appreciated, but dolphins are wild animals and shouldn’t be approached.

“The process for response is about human safety,” Wimmer said. “You need the right people and the right gear. MARS is the only group in the province certified by DFO (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) to do this.”

Wimmer said it is illegal and dangerous to help some marine animals when they are in distress. She said the mudflats of the Minas Basin and the Bay of Fundy tides are also dangerous.

“It’s like quicksand,” she said. “We very much appreciate everyone’s passion to help these animals but we absolutely have to be safe.”

Wimmer said MARS calls the fire department before working on the mud because of their extensive safety experience.

Funding and frustration

Harrington said the people in Canning would do anything to help animals but the experience she had with the dolphins was difficult.

“It’s frustrating trying to get a hold of people and getting bounced around,” Harrington said. “It’s frustrating for a town that lives directly on the ocean to not have those kinds of resources.”

Wimmer said this incident highlights a need for funding but there is training available for volunteers who want to help with marine animal rescue.

“Anyone can sign up to be a volunteer,” she said. “Over the years we’ve been teaching people to respond, and we’ve been trying to find a way to get support from the federal government to do this.”

Wimmer said there was also a stranded whale in Guysbourough, N.S., on Sunday and with a very small staff, they do their best to cover the province, which is why they need trained volunteers. She said without proper training, a lot of people can be put in harm’s way and you have to be a MARS volunteer to work under legal permits.

“The equipment, training and programming are lacking in the Maritime provinces,” Wimmer said. “Most people want to help, and that is a wonderful thing to see. We just need to harness that passion for the safety of the people and the animals.”

Harrington said when the people of Canning saw the pod of stranded dolphins their “natural maternal instincts” kicked in. They didn’t think about safety or legality, they just tried to help.

“It’s just who people are in Canning,” she said. “We do live next to the water. It would be absolutely heartbreaking to see a whole pod wiped out. They’re part of the community we live in and part of what makes Nova Scotia great.”

Wimmer said she applauds the enthusiasm but asks anybody who sees marine animals in distress to contact MARS.

“We will assess the situation and try to get a team there or some of our volunteers or partners with DFO.”

MARS is the only organization in Canada to offer a marine animal medic course.

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