A beach in Wales in 2015: Criccieth lies just north of the Porthmadog estuary, and (on a clear day) commands stunning views of Cardigan Bay and the mountains of Snowdonia and Mid Wales. It was here that fisherman Rich Wilcock decided he would walk his dog, Leia.
Barking and nudging
As Mr Wilcock strolled along the shoreline, his 2-year-old Springer Spaniel bounced over to the water's edge and heralded him with a bark.
Wilcock marched over to an object lying motionless on the pebbles. He described seeing a ‘baby dolphin’ on its belly, and seemingly in distress.
He was taking pictures and videos of the scenery when the dog began to make a fuss, barking and nudging at him. Wilcock believes Leia must have smelt the dolphin from a mile away. The man admits that at first, he thought it was a baby shark, but as he got closer, he spotted its blow hole and realised it was actually a dolphin.
Determination and resilience
Without a phone signal to muster a rescue bid, Wilcock took it upon himself to begin the task of returning the dolphin – later identified as a porpoise pup – to the waiting arms of the sea.
Wilcock’s determination to save the pup was all that was required. After one or two false starts, the pup swam away. Wilcock later praised his loyal Leia for finding the stranded porpoise.
Watch the rescue of the porpoise here:
