Apologies for the lack of news recently due to technical difficulties.
In the period between Christmas and New Year, our correspondents Gauthier Chapelle and Veronique Everts were busy on the ground (and in the water) in Belgium trying to track Dony down. When Veronique found Dony in Zeebrugge on the 26th, he was in the commercial harbour, in amongst large cargo vessels and near to two large sea locks, where he had apparently spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Port officials asked her not to try to enter the water there for safety reasons, but she was able to interest one of the lock-keepers to himself make contact with Dony, after explaining that this was a dolphin which sought out human company. This lock-keeper, Patrick, kindly opened the sea lock for Dony to swim out but he did not do so. Veronique and Patrick went to see a fishing harbour outside the lock which they agreed would be a much better place for a dolphin, and where Dony could have contact with people when he wanted.
How and when he moved there is not clear, but by the 28th Dony was indeed in this much safer location, and people in small boats were able to stroke him as he swam alongside. Gauthier had now arrived and he and Veronique quickly entered the chilly water in their wet-suits. They found Dony eager for contact and enjoyed swimming with him and stroking him despite the cold temperatures. They found him very calm and relaxed and did not see any rough or ‘randy’ behaviour such as the English media reported throughout the summer when Dony was visiting the south coast of England. Several boatloads of people came out to see the amazing sight of a friendly dolphin in Zeebrugge harbour.
Naturally by the next day lots more people were out looking for Dony but he had disappeared during the night, and he was not sighted in the following days either. Gauthier searched along the coast as far as his previous haunt at Blankenberghe but with no luck.
We await with interest the next sighting of Dony the Disappearing Dolphin!
If you hear anything, please mail the editor here
|
