Posted on 08/17/2006 10:49:15 AM PDT by Cagey
A lucky adolescent male bottlenose dolphin is back to living nude and free in Gulf Coast Florida's Sarasota Bay after making a potentially fatal wardrobe choice early this summer.
The 10-year-old dolphin, known as Scrappy, probably owes its life to a Brookfield Zoo marine mammal research team that works year round in the bay.
The drama began July 6, when a member of the team working in the bay spotted Scrappy unaccountably and uncomfortably swimming around while wearing a black, Speedo-brand man's bikini swimsuit.
"He must have found the swimsuit floating in the water," said Randall Wells, a population biologist who runs the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program for the Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo's parent organization.
"Somehow he got his head and torso through the waist and one of the leg holes of the suit, and it was hugging him right where his pectoral fins and body meet."
The project team, which has been tracking and observing 150 resident dolphins in the bay for the last 36 years, began looking for Scrappy every day. They feared the tight-fitting, non-rotting synthetic cloth suit could injure or kill the dolphin as "drag" force from swimming pushed it into the soft skin in front of the pectoral fins.
"Eventually it could cut deeply enough to sever arteries, causing him to bleed," Wells said.
When the swimsuit was still stubbornly clinging to Scrappy after three weeks, the team got an emergency rescue authorization from federal officials who monitor its work in the bay.
Scrappy's capture turned into an all-day ordeal for the depantsing team Wells organized Aug. 3. Five fast boats carrying 31 people raced across the bay after the animal, trying to surround it with a net.
(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...
Last night I rescued a dolphin in my speedo. How he got in speedo I'll never know!
Perhaps I should rethink my "no one looks good in a speedo" comments?
ANY male in a Speedo is to be avoided.
I've heard it called "punishing the porpoise", but not "rescuing the dolphin"
LOL !!
You can't make up stuff like this.
Personally, I have a blood pack with my close friends that if I am ever caught in a Speedo, to shoot me immediately as that would be proof that I had lost my mind and I was beyond redemption.
Once upon a time I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How an elephant got in my pajamas, I'll never know - Groucho Marx
Scrappy bring back my Speedos®, no thats not funny. Bad dolphin.
I wonder what his key unlocks?
With all available things to question about that picture, you notice the key....... ;^)
Gee thanks.... (sound of lunch hitting trash)
Thank God for that!!
I like to think I stopped looking as soon as I got to the key.
I'm not quite old enough to wear a Speedo. I think a man should wait 'til he hits 71 and walk the beach with that "panache" those old guys in Speedos seem to do. Not realizing just how dumb the look.
"Look at me, I'm European!"
Hmmm. Even a critter can be slave to fashion, I guess...
Just doing my part to help humanity...
71 when I was a kid is not 71 now......I'm thinking more like 81 before a speedo is acceptable.
Trust me, in that pic, the only way to preserve your eyes (rather than rip them out of their sockets,) is to concentrate on the key...
What an image that provokes!!
Isn't that the guy from Virgin Airlines and Virgin Records...if it is (and judging from the picture) I now understand the obsession with the name virgin.
The mullet was enough to convince me the picture needed to be posted, the farmers tan, pierced ear and non-svelt body in the speedo were icing on the cake...
Perhaps this is representative of the virgins awaiting terrorists?
Fred Reid, CEO Virgin Airlines
Could be.
After this, anything else you see today will be acceptable.
He's as scary-looking as Chappateddy! Now I have to go flush my eyeballs.
Bring lots of baggy trunks!
Re: #23
This guys looks waaaaay to GAY for a dolphin thread!!
YOU should be jailed for posting that!
I saw that picture. All I saw was a key!
i hope it isn't because you wear a speedo and think he looks good! ; )
LOL! I think he is the reason for that billboard in post #18.
you're another one that needs jailed for cruel and unusual pics!
It's difficult to tell Hillary's backside from Ted Kennedy's front side! LOL!
It's a "fashion don't"!!!
Scrappy better watch out for a shark attack in that getup.
Almost pingworthy. ;')
Almost pingworthy. ;')
Which ping list??
Crevo... looks like this dolphin is just lacking opposable thumbs... ;')
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