Dolphin Spotted In Inner Harbor: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — A dolphin was spotted in the Inner Harbor on Thursday in Baltimore. After officials from the National Aquarium consulted with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), they reportedly determined the best course of action was to leave the animal alone.

The creature was a baby Risso's dolphin, National Aquarium personnel told WJZ, and they said in a statement that "our best option is not to intervene at this time."

Aquarium officials said the deep, open water would make a rescue difficult; and since the closest facility for dolphin rehabilitation was in Florida, there would be even more potential distress for the animal in transit, WJZ reported.

Water depth in the harbor varies considerably, and can range from under 10 feet to more than 40 feet deep, according to NOAA.

It is not unusual for Risso’s dolphins to spend time at the water's surface, according to NOAA. In fact, it says they are "very active on the surface, often leaping out of the water, slapping their flippers or tails on the water surface, and raising their heads vertically out of the water."

However, a spokesperson for the National Aquarium told The Baltimore Sun that this particular dolphin was not behaving as a normal dolphin would, saying it was flapping its tail "irregularly" and swimming in circles between Fort McHenry and Canton.

11 News viewer John Papadakis saw something peculiar in the harbor between Rukert Terminals and Fort McHenry off South Clinton Street. What was it? https://t.co/7Bwa0CkUSj pic.twitter.com/CSMxBsznK4
— WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore (@wbaltv11) May 9, 2019

The dolphin was in Canton around 9:45 a.m., according to Fox 45. People should stay at least 150 feet away from the dolphin, including if they are boating, the National Aquarium said in a statement to the news station, asking anyone who sees the dolphin to contact the National Aquarium's Stranded Animal Rescue hotline at 410-576-3880.

The National Aquarium announced in 2016 that it was planning to start its own dolphin sanctuary somewhere tropical, such as Florida, and would transfer the dolphins it has in its care there.

However, NPR reported earlier this month that after reviewing more than 50 sites, the Baltimore institution has been unable to find a place suitable for the dolphins that would shield them from hazardous weather and toxic plant life, leaving the National Aquarium to reconsider its 2020 deadline for moving the dolphins to their new home.

SEE ALSO: National Aquarium Plans Tropical Dolphin Sanctuary