Davina the Dolphin facts for kids
Davina the Dolphin (who was first called Dave the Dolphin) was a very special dolphin. She lived by herself off the coast near Folkestone and Hythe in England for about a year and a half. This was quite unusual because dolphins normally live in family groups called pods. It's rare to see a dolphin on its own. Davina was often spotted swimming in the English Channel.
Contents
Davina's Time in Folkestone and Hythe
While Davina was living in the area, she sadly got hurt several times. These injuries were caused by boat propellers when people went out to see her. In August 2007, she hurt her dorsal fin (the fin on her back). It took many months for this injury to heal.
Then, in October, she lost a third of her tail. This was a very serious injury that could have been life-threatening. Luckily, a vet working with the cetacean rescue group British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) gave her antibiotics. This helped her get better.
After this, Davina was seen in the area again, and she seemed to be improving. However, she suddenly disappeared shortly after. The last time she was reported seen was in early November 2007. Even though BDMLR marine mammal medics still check the area, Davina has not been seen since.
Some people worry she might have died from an infection to her tail wound. Others fear she might have been caught in fishing nets and drowned. But there is no proof of this. Many people still hope she is alive and has simply left the area. Maybe she even rejoined another pod of dolphins.
British Divers Marine Life Rescue had volunteers watching over Davina from the moment she arrived. They wanted to make sure she was safe and to see how people behaved around her. They also handed out information leaflets on the beach and answered questions. BDMLR and other groups from the Marine Animal Rescue Coalition were worried about solitary dolphins. These animals can often get hurt when humans interact with them too closely. Davina is a female bottlenose dolphin, and experts believe she was about 6 years old.
On June 9, 2007, two men were found to have disturbed Davina while swimming with her. This was against the rules for protecting wild animals. They were later ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work. This happened because they had intentionally or carelessly disturbed a wild animal. This action was against the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, which helps protect animals.
See also
- List of individual cetaceans
External links — Davina in the news
Davina the dolphin was often featured on the Kent Online and BBC News websites:
- Kent Online
- How dolphin begged swimmers to leave her alone
- Still no sign of missing Dave the dolphin
- Fears for safety of 'missing' Dave the dolphin
- Dave the dolphin responding well after serious injury
- Battle is on to save Dave's life
- Dave tail injury 'could be fatal'
- Bid to save Dave the Dolphin's life
- Warning after jet skiers harass 'celebrity' dolphin
- Sign up and help save Dave the dolphin
- Save Dave the dolphin stay away from him
- Cinderella stars 'dolphin Dave'
- Dolphin Dave 'becoming a danger'
- Dave the dolphin film criticised
- Dolphin fans 'urged to keep away'
- Dolphin Dave honoured with award
- Dolphin Dave boosts town's trade
- Kayakers harassing 'dolphin Dave'
- Dolphin 'at risk from being tame'
- Search on the BBC Website
Other links
- British Divers Marine Life Rescue
- Dave the Dolphin
