A stranded dolphin was rescued in Penang.

GEORGE TOWN: Several fishermen managed to rescue a distressed dolphin at Teluk Kumbara near here.

One of them, 46-year-old Samsuar Hashim, said he received a call from a friend who saw the dolphin near the coastline around 5:30 pm on Tuesday.

The 1.5 meter long dolphin was seen struggling with the current just offshore and looked distressed.

Realizing something was wrong, the fishermen assembled a small team to return the dolphin to deeper waters.

Samsuar said this is no easy task as dolphins are known to be fast, elusive and extremely intelligent.

“But there was something different about this.

“Instead of panicking, he seemed almost resigned, too weak to swim back out on his own, but still strong enough to move carefully.” “Using a sunscreen, we gently coaxed the dolphin into a more relaxed position.

“The whole process took us about 40 minutes before we coaxed him out to sea,” he said.

Samsuar said this is the first time a dolphin has been found alive near the shoreline in Teluk Kumbara.

According to him, there have been cases where mammals have died after becoming entangled in fishing nets.

Dolphins have been seen in Penang waters over the years.

According to MareCet, a non-governmental organization that studies aquatic and marine mammals in Malaysia, Malaysian waters are home to at least 27 different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises – based on records of living and dead species.

The species found in Penang are mainly Irrawaddy dolphins, which are usually found in the north-west of the island.