An Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, right, found entangled in abandoned fishing gear off Jeju on July 17, swims alongside another dolphin, nicknamed "Haenguni," or "Lucky," that was previously found entangled in similar fishing gear.DOCUJEJU/JEJU NATIONAL UNIVERSITY'S WHALE AND MARINE ANIMAL CONSERVATION RESEARCH CENTER
Endangered Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins living off the coast of Jeju Island continue to become entangled in abandoned fishing gear and fishing lines, posing a growing threat to the small population.
With only about 120 of them remaining, at least five dolphins are facing life-threatening risks from marine debris, underscoring the urgent need for stronger protection measures.
An Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin was newly spotted entangled in discarded fishing gear off Woljeong-ri in Gujwa-eup, Jeju, on Friday, according to documentary production group DocuJeju and the Whale and Marine Animal Conservation Research Center at Jeju National University.
The dolphin was swimming alongside another dolphin carrying similar fishing gear. The other dolphin, nicknamed "Haenguni," which means "Lucky" in Korean, was first found in November 2024 with a thick rope wrapped around its tail, which recently led to calls for a rescue operation.
The following day, the newly identified dolphin was also observed swimming with a pod of about 15 dolphins.
Although both animals currently appear to be swimming and behaving normally, researchers warned that the attached gear could easily snag additional marine debris, increasing the risk of serious injury.
A detailed analysis by researchers uncovered another case of entanglement. Footage recorded on July 9 showed a young Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin swimming with its mother while a long fishing line was wrapped around its tail.
An Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin with abandoned fishing gear entangled around its tail off Jeju Island in November 2024.DOCUJEJU/JEJU NATIONAL UNIVERSITY'S WHALE AND MARINE ANIMAL CONSERVATION RESEARCH CENTER
The latest discoveries bring the number of officially confirmed entanglement cases in Jeju waters to five, accounting for about 4.2 percent of the entire local population.
Researchers have previously also found two other dolphins — one with fishhooks embedded on both sides of its snout and another with a rope from abandoned fishing gear caught beneath its snout.
"The situation calls not only for stronger marine cleanup efforts but also for greater awareness among recreational anglers, such as when dolphins approach rocky shorelines, anglers should temporarily reel in their lines and retrieve any broken fishing lines instead of leaving them behind," said Director Oh Seung-mok of DocuJeju, who has been monitoring the dolphins in the field.
The Jeju Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin emergency rescue task force said it will continue monitoring the affected dolphins and explore safe rescue options.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
