THE fate of a wounded dolphin stranded in the River Clyde hung in the balance last night, as conservationists admitted there was little they could do to prevent the mammal from succumbing to its injuries.
Far from its normal habitat of the deep waters of the Atlantic, it has a deep laceration above one eye, several scratches and grazes on its body and is exhibiting tiredness from a lack of food, There were fears the 10ft Risso dolphin may
have to be put down, despite three days of attempts by rescue workers to steer it back out to sea.
However, there was an unconfirmed report of a sighting of the dolphin heading west near the Erskine Bridge, about ten miles from Glasgow city centre, last night. Conservationists said they would mount a major search of the Clyde today and if it was not found, they would assume the dolphin had reached the sea.
The last Risso's dolphin to find itself lost inshore – on the Orkney island of Stronsay nine years ago – was similarly malnourished and had to be humanely destroyed.
When the latest mammal, nicknamed "Disco Dave" after it was spotted with a packet of Disco crisps on its fin, first made its unlikely appearance in the heart of Glasgow on Sunday, it was welcomed with good cheer and people stopped by the banks to survey the extraordinary scenes.
The adult dolphin was first spotted in Gareloch, near the Faslane Naval Base, further down the Clyde on Saturday, before appearing near the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.
By Sunday night, volunteers with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) attempted to drive the mammal to safety, assisted by Strathclyde Fire and Rescue. It is thought the dolphin made it as far away as Renfrew by around 10pm, and as night fell the team could only hope their charge would find its own way to the mouth of the Clyde estuary.
Come yesterday morning however, with sightings near the city's Clyde Arc bridge and downstream from the busy Kingston Bridge, it was severely fatigued and in considerable distress as it swam in circles.
Nick Duthie, a BDMLR director, said last night: "We are very concerned. This is a deep-ocean species of dolphin that is not normally associated with these kinds of waters. We have to be realistic about whether there will be a positive outcome."
Andy Ireland, the organisation's co-ordinator who travelled overnight to Glasgow with Mr Duthie, added: "It is in a bad way. There is muscle wastage and you can see its bones."
Privately, rescuers were increasingly considering the possibility that the dolphin may have to be humanely destroyed. Despite venturing out on the Clyde on Strathclyde Fire and Rescue dinghy boats for a closer look, rescuers have been reluctant to try to capture the mammal for fear of the immense stress such an operation would cause it.
It is thought "Dave" may have been involved in an accident at sea, colliding with rocks or even a vessel, and became disorientated, swimming inshore towards Glasgow rather than out towards the ocean.
Patrick Pollock, a vet who normally looks after horses at the University of Glasgow's Equine Hospital, was asked to attend the rescue attempts to give his advice. Having examined the dolphin from a dinghy, his prognosis was no more upbeat.
"It looks emaciated and in a poor state," he said. "There's a deep laceration on its face, and the signs aren't good. There is no food source the dolphin would normally be able to eat here in the Clyde. It feeds on squid.
"It probably hasn't eaten for some time and is looking dehydrated and stressed by the noise of the traffic around the river. It's not in a good condition at all."
By late yesterday afternoon, the dolphin's whereabouts were unknown, with the last confirmed sighting at around 11:30am near the Clyde Arc, heading west.
A police wildlife officer scaled the 175ft tower of the Glasgow Science Centre to try to catch sight of the mammal, while experts used boats to search.
But a spokeswoman for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said: "It has obviously been involved in some kind of trauma which has left it confused and disorientated."
