Rescued harbour porpoise to live at Vancouver Aquarium

A porpoise that was nursed back to health by the Vancouver Aquarium's Marine Mammal Rescue Centre will stay at the aquarium rather than being released back into the wild.

The five week-old male harbour porpoisewas found on a beach in Horseshoe Bay last September.

"The harbour porpoise, later named Jack, was weak, malnourished, and dehydrated when found," said aquariumgeneral managerClint Wright.

"Once the animal was admitted to the Aquariums hospital, the team provided emergency treatment and immediately placed him under 24-hour care and monitoring."

Staff and volunteers at the rescue centre nursedthe porpoise back to health, eventually helping him swim again with the aid of a floatation device in a unique physiotherapy program.

"Thanks to the tremendous effort by staff and volunteers, Jack was able to regain strength and is now healthy and thriving," Wright said.

Jack was moved to the aquarium after being deemed non-releasable by Fisheries and Oceans Canada because he wasrescued at a neonatal age and has not developed the necessary skills that would enable him to survive in the wild.

Jack now lives in a tank with Daisy, the only other harbour porpoise living in an aquarium in North America.

"We are happy to provide him a home at the Vancouver Aquarium and also a new companion," Wright said. "Jack and Daisy were introduced last month and are both doing extremely well, interacting and playing with each other."