Earlier on the baby porpoise, which has got into Moville’s Bredagh River, was swimming up and down the river.

Local girl, Rhea McLaughlin, who is studying to be a vet, got into the water with it before it swam away.

However, it seems to be running out of energy and when it was dark and we came in it was not swimming much at all,Â  Indeed it was pretty much stationary.

Still Alive

It was still alive as Robbie McLaughlin and Anthony Craig heard it expelling water through its blowhole even though they could no longer see it in the dark.

Perhaps it was just resting.

It seems that dolphins, which are closely related to porpoises, sleep with one eye open.

They shut down one side of their brain and shut that eye while the other side of their brain is still active and the eye open.

They keep swapping about between the different sides of the brain,

So, they’re only ever half asleep.

Let’s hope that this is what this dolphin was doing – but I wouldn’t count on it.

For further details see Drama of Baby Porpoise in River Bredagh