Written by: Denis O'Regan

Testing DOLORES (DOLphin Onshore REscue System)

As part of my membership of the IWDG (Irish Whale and Dolphin Group) I am trained as a responder to attend to stranded dolphins and whales

Occasionally stranded dolphins are reported alive and depending on several factors it might be deemed appropriate to attempt guiding the animal back to the ocean. Dolphins are heavy. A Common Dolphin can weigh 150 kilograms. One method the IWDG employs is to place the dolphin in a strong sling and it can take 6 to 8 volunteers to lift and carry it back to the sea. IWDG members are insured for this task however, it can be difficult to gather enough members especially as speed is critical.

Dolphins are not designed to be on land and when stranded it faces many dangers. The body weight can put tremendous pressure on the internal organs; UV rays even on a cloudy day can cause burning of the sensitive paper-thin skin; and predatory gulls favour soft tissue first like the eyes!

Testing DOLORES

So back in July 2023 I contacted the Engineering Course at the University College Cork and proposed an engineering project challenge – to design a rescue trolley that could enable a minimum of two people to transport a dolphin back to the ocean. It would need to fit in a car and be assembled as quickly as possible. To travel over a variety of surfaces (Sand, Mud, Pebbles and rocky shores). Gemma O’Connor (Live Stranding Network Response Coordinator at the IWDG) contributed her invaulable wealth of experience including some sketched ideas.

Not only did UCC Engineering Department accept the challenge – they also fully funded the design and materials for the prototype. After several iterations and modifications we just needed a strong harness and Doyle Sails, Kinsale created the perfect design – again sponsoring the project with no cost to us.

We needed a catchy name for the contraption and UCC Course lecturer Bill Wright suggested DOLORES (DOLphin Onshore REscue System)

I made several attempts to fix a date to test it and after several postponements due to weather we finally carried out the first test on Tuesday 23 June 2026 nearly three years after the beginning of the project.