Human chain frees dolphin pod stuck in a canal

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (KTVU, WTVT, WTSP) - Human kindness and some ingenuity helped free a pod of dolphins that got stuck in a Florida canal over the weekend.

On Tuesday, a group of marine wildlife experts jumped into the canal to form a human chain and gently guide the dolphins out of the waterway.

The two adult dolphins and two calves had been stranded in the canal since at least Sunday. Marine wildlife experts said the animals appeared to be healthy but seemed to view an overpass at the canal as an obstacle, preventing them from leaving the waterway. 

So workers from the nearby Clearwater Marine Aquarium joined other marine wildlife experts and worked on a plan to help free the pod.

By creating a human chain, they acted as a moving barrier and steered the pod out and away from the canal.

The wayward dolphins eventually made their way under the bridge, into the bay, and are now back swimming freely in the open waters.

This story was reported from Oakland, Calif.