Local fishermen alerted officers at Sirinath National Park they they had seen a dolphin swimming with difficulty offshore at 7am.
However, it was not until 11:30am that park officers were able to find the dolphin, explained Sirinath National Park Chief Witoon Dechpramualpol.
The striped dolphin, about one metre long, had wounds on its dorsal fin and mouth, so officers administered first aid.
“They kept it in the water, careful to make sure it did not swim away, and covered it with a wet towel to keep the body temperature stable,” he said.
The dolphin was taken to the PMBC at Cape Panwa, where marine biologists at the Endangered Species Unit are providing care for the dolphin and treatment for it s injuries.
It has yet to be confirmed what the injuries were caused by, though most often injured sea mammals that find their way to Phuket shores are injured by discarded fishing nets or boat propellers.