A fishing charter in St. James City turned into an unforgettable experience when Capt. Shane Kelly embarked on an unexpected rescue mission.
Kelly, who knows the waters well, was out for a typical day of fishing when something unusual occurred.
"Being out on the water. I mean, it's literally what I've grown up doing. So I couldn't imagine really doing anything else besides being out here," said Kelly.
While his clients were hoping to catch big fish like tarpon and snook, they were also treated to a show of dolphins jumping and playing nearby.
"Sometimes we're going for the big stuff. You know, tarpon, big snook, red fish. We do literally everything," said Kelly. "We see dolphins almost guaranteed every single time."
Kelly described how people on his boat are often captivated by the dolphins.
"I've had people almost fall out of the boat, pretty much, wanting to try to look over the edge to see them. And they can't get enough of them," he said.
However, this trip was different. Kelly's charter suddenly became a rescue mission.
"We kind of heard this high-pitched noise, which I kind of thought was just an osprey chirping in the mornings like they always do," he said. "And it just threw me off that these dolphins were kind of sitting in the same spot for more than a normal amount of time."
Upon closer inspection, Kelly discovered a small dolphin in distress.
"So I figured we'd go over and kind of check it out a little closer, and sure enough, there was that little, probably three-foot dolphin just hanging there, squealing," said Kelly.
Kelly acted quickly, getting out of the boat to assist the dolphin.
"Pulled up, hopped out of the boat. He didn't move much, so I was a little nervous, but I turned him over to the side, and kind of shoved him out," he said.
The young dolphin soon reunited with its mother, who had been waiting nearby.
"He kicked once or twice, and as soon as he met up with his mom, that was hanging five feet off the back of the boat. They just took off and pretty much followed us the whole way out of the channel," Kelly said.
Reflecting on the event, Kelly shared his feelings about the rescue.
"That was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience," he said. "It felt good. It was cool to see him. I was just relieved that he was fine."
Capt. Kelly advises that if you see a beached or injured dolphin, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and stay in the area until help arrives.