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'Sad sight': Group of dolphins trapped by ice in Heart's Delight

An 80-year-old man in Heart's Delight is keeping a close watch on a group of dolphins stuck in the harbour, and he is afraid they will die there.

Andrew Sooley counted 7 dolphins on Sunday, said they seemed to be in good health

The fins of three dolphins are visible above the water in Heart's Delight. (Submitted by Geraldine Legge)

An 80-year-old man in Heart's Delight is keeping a close watch on a pod of dolphins stuck in the harbour, and he is afraid they will die there.

Andrew Sooley has been making trips to the waterfront since Sunday morning to watch seven of the mammals who are hemmed into a small pool of water and surrounded by ice.

"If the wind changes and closes off the spot they're in there, they're going to have to go in on the beach," he told CBC's The Broadcast.

According to Sooley, the area has seen a lot of northeasterly winds which pushed a large pack of ice up the opposite side of the northern side of the harbour. It eventually closed off a section by the town's wharf, where the dolphins have become stuck.

"They seem to be in good health," he said. "But they're not so lively today as they were yesterday."

'I don't think it's right'

​Sooley said he tried to reach the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources but could not reach anyone.

Monday is a provincial holiday, and government offices are closed.

CBC News contacted a department spokesperson, who said they were checking to see if any staff were dispatched to Heart's Delight.

Meanwhile, Sooley said there isn't much residents can do to help since the ice is so thick.

"It is a sad sight. For them to die like that, and nobody to help them, I don't think it's right."

With files from Jane Adey