A dolphin calf that was saved after being stranded in upper Elkhorn Slough has been euthanized by veterinarians. The Sausalito-based Marine Mammal Center spokeswoman said that on Saturday, the health of the pre-weaned dolphin was getting deteriorated after being taken away from its mother.

Laura Sherr mentioned that veterinarians after consulting the National Marine Fisheries Services have reached a conclusion that the young dolphin couldn't survive in the wild on its own, so they took the most humane option and decided to euthanize the animal.

A spokeswoman added that sea otter monitoring volunteers from the Elkhorn Slough Visitors Center spotted the dolphin first on Friday about 8:30 am, when they were in the Hudson's Landing area of the slough across Kirby Park. They said that the dolphin seems circling in water continuously and had a confused look.

They contacted the Marine Mammal Center but the center responded that it won’t take any action unless the dolphin was stranded, and soon it happened. Rebecca Dmytryk, president and CEO of Wildlife Emergency Services at Moss Landing, said that near 3 pm, the dolphin beached itself on a sandbar.

The Marine Mammal Center personnel reached on the site at about 4:30 pm. As the light was getting dim with passing time, and the unsafe condition created by mud, the rescuers failed to reach the mammal. Dmytryk added that they decided to check the mammal on Saturday morning.

On Saturday morning, the calf was swimming in the water. Thereafter, the rescue team requested the National Marine Fisheries Services to permit them to try a water rescue. They tried to find the mammal’s mother but there were no sightings of the mother.