SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — SeaWorld San Diego has announced a baby dolphin that was found stranded on the beach in Cardiff with severe injuries has defied all odds and is making a miraculous recovery.
The SeaWorld San Diego rescue team responded to reports of a stranded male dolphin calf on Cardiff Beach in mid-January 2024.
After rescuing the dolphin, the team found it was only a few months old and had a broken jaw in three places and head trauma.
Named Cardiff, the long-beaked common dolphin is recovering well after the SeaWorld rescue team has been working for the past few months to rehabilitate the orphaned calf.
According to SeaWorld, stranded cetaceans typically have up to a 10% chance of survival depending on age, body condition, any underlying disease or problems, and the extent of their injuries. Orphaned calves have a slightly higher chance of survival as they are often more resilient during rehabilitation.
After his rescue this winter, the SeaWorld rescue and animal care specialist teams placed the dolphin in a flotation vest to assist with buoyancy as they assessed him and provided 24-hour care.
They then performed two rare poolside jaw surgeries to address the traumatized broken jaw within the first three weeks of his rehabilitation.
Cardiff was also tube-fed with a special fish formula to ensure he was receiving the appropriate nutrients.
SeaWorld Rescues and Rehabs Orphaned Common Dolphin Calf with Traumatic Jaw Injury (Photo courtesy SeaWorld San Diego/Jennifer Crespo) 
SeaWorld Rescues and Rehabs Orphaned Common Dolphin Calf with Traumatic Jaw Injury (Photo courtesy SeaWorld San Diego/Jennifer Crespo) 
SeaWorld Rescues and Rehabs Orphaned Common Dolphin Calf with Traumatic Jaw Injury (Photo courtesy SeaWorld San Diego/Jennifer Crespo) 
SeaWorld Rescues and Rehabs Orphaned Common Dolphin Calf with Traumatic Jaw Injury (Photo courtesy SeaWorld San Diego/Jennifer Crespo) 
SeaWorld Rescues and Rehabs Orphaned Common Dolphin Calf with Traumatic Jaw Injury (Photo courtesy SeaWorld San Diego/Jennifer Crespo) 
SeaWorld Rescues and Rehabs Orphaned Common Dolphin Calf with Traumatic Jaw Injury (Photo courtesy SeaWorld San Diego/Jennifer Crespo)
Because of his ongoing recovery from the jaw injury and acclimation to people, Cardiff has been deemed non-releasable by NOAA. He is now with the other dolphins at SeaWorld San Diego.
Bottlenose dolphins found at SeaWorld weigh around 330 to 440 pounds and grow to be around 6 to 12 feet in length, according to their website.
In the ocean, they around found throughout the world in offshore and coastal waters.
Though they are not listed as endangered or threatened, they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as they face many threats in the ocean including entanglement in fishing gear, disease, ocean pollution, human activities and disturbances, habitat alteration, and oil spills, according to NOAA.
Learn more about dolphins at SeaWorld San Diego at seaworld.com/san-diego.