ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A family of four dolphins stuck in a canal in St. Petersburg, Florida, is free thanks to the state’s wildlife commission.
The animals, including two calves, had been trapped in the canal since Sunday, according to WFTS-TV.
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission assessed the situation and waited a day to see if the dolphins would leave on their own.
So, members of the FWC formed a human chain Tuesday, blocking the dolphins' view of the bridges, and used underwater sounds to direct them out of the canal and into Riviera Bay, WFTS reported.
When they didn’t, wildlife officials theorized that the mammals, which were not in distress, saw the canal bridges as an obstacle blocking their way out, according to a statement from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.