A humpback dolphin that was spotted in Kochi canal on Tuesday caused quite a stir among the residents.

The mammal was first spotted in the backwaters of Vyppin, in the Nayaraambalam-Punchapalam canal.

Although it is not unusual to see these dolphins leaping out of the water in the coastal areas, curiosity got the better of many as people gathered to catch a glimpse of the dolphin.

Renju Ravi, a marketing assistant at National Institute of Fisheries Post Harvest Technology and Training, said that he was informed by a fisherman about the dolphin on Wednesday morning. According to him, the dolphin travelled for nearly 15 km to reach the canal. However, it was unable to go back to the sea, as the canal did not naturally connect to the sea.

It was then caught by the locals in a fishing net and released into the sea around 300 meters away, on Wednesday evening. Over these 24 hours, the dolphin moved close to four km. Renju added that the dolphin’s health deteriorated by the time it was released into the sea as it was seen floating on the surface.

A video has also been made showing the rescue operation. Watch: