‘Bolsa Chica Bob’ (aka Fred) Gets Bullied

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 1st, 2012, 04:41 PM

A solitary dolphin who has spent the past five days swimming in California wetlands while the rest of its pod swim back towards ocean may be the victim of bullying.

The animal at the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Southern California had been seen last week with other dolphins.

However when it went to leave the nature reserve, two other dolphins reportedly emerged, apparently blocking its path back towards the ocean.

Director of Marine Animal Rescue Peter Wallerstein told the Los Angeles Times that dolphins ‘can be very aggressive towards each other. They’re not the sweet, loving, gentle animals portrayed by the movies and the cartoons. They do have a dark side.’
[...]

Experts believe the dolphin is able to leave the wetlands, but is choosing not to.

On Saturday, Mr Wallerstein and officers from the State Department of Fish and Game used paddle boards to shoo the dolphin back towards the ocean.

However when two other dolphins emerged and seemed to block its path, the dolphin dove under the boards and swam back to the wetlands, leading to the suspicion of bullying.

The mammal is being monitored although experts will not interfere while the dolphin is healthy.

Onlookers have been giving the mammal nicknames including ‘Bolsa Chica Bob’ and ‘Fred’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-BULLYING.html

**Valasca** · May 1st, 2012, 04:45 PM

WHEN will bullying between animals STOP?

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 1st, 2012, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Valasca

WHEN will bullying between animals STOP?

When congress passes a law against it. We should start a petition.

**gee** · May 2nd, 2012, 02:15 PM

Awww... Poor guy. maybe he better off where he is at.

**Tundratot** · May 2nd, 2012, 02:38 PM

I'm concerned there may not be enough food there for him. And is he a juvenile or an adult?

**penelopejo** · May 2nd, 2012, 03:27 PM

I will never trust a dolphin after seeing that one Treehouse of Horror episode.

**Nell** · May 3rd, 2012, 05:41 AM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

When congress passes a law against it. We should start a petition.

I will pass it around of FB! 100,000 likes and this dolphin will never be bullied again!!!

**Dakota Valkyrie** · May 7th, 2012, 04:22 PM

He sneaks away under cover of darkness!

The wayward dolphin who mistakenly made its way into the Bolsa Chica wetlands last month appears to have returned to sea.

Officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's marine fisheries service said the 7-foot common dolphin — nicknamed “Fred” by some onlookers — was last spotted late Friday and hasn’t been seen since.

They believe the dolphin left the wetlands, which sit adjacent to Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.

"That’s our hope," said Monica DeAngelis, a NOAA marine mammal biologist.
[...]

DeAngelis said experts had a plan to remove the dolphin if needed.

“He beat our timeline by a couple of days,” she said.

In the days since the dolphin was first spotted, curious onlookers stopped along the shore to get a glimpse of the strayed swimmer and keep an eye on its progress.

“The fact that the community sort of bonded over this animal and kept watch over it and reported on it was really encouraging,” DeAngelis said. “But it’s much better to see it out in the ocean.”

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lano...perts-say.html

A wayward dolphin that appeared in the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve late last month has gone back to the open ocean, a sea mammal expert said today.

"The dolphin is officially gone," said Peter Wallerstein of the El Segundo-based nonprofit Marine Animal Rescue group.

http://www.presstelegram.com/breakin...s-back-out-sea