Porpoise Named Noodle Returned to the Atlantic

A juvenile harbor porpoise that was rescued six months ago in Maine got a new lease on wildlife Saturday, when it was released to the Atlantic Ocean about five miles south of the Shinnecock Inlet.

The male porpoise, named Noodle, was kept under the care of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation, where it gained 15 pounds and was treated for lungworm, according to the foundation.

Assisting in the release was the East End Marine Task Force, which provided its newly commissionly 41-foot response vessel; Sea Tow; Southampton Town bay constables and U.S. Coast Guard Station Shinnecock.

Before being let go, Noodle was affixed with a satellite tag so the foundation can track its movements and learn about the species' habits.

Robert DiGiovanni, the executive director and senior biologist, said the Riverhead Foundation has been the only marine mammal rescue organization from Virginia to Maine that has kept its dolphin tank operational in the face of severe funding shortages as grants that were once issued annually are no longer offered.

Noodle was rescued in Brunswick, Maine, Oct. 17, 2012, by Marine Mammals of Maine, a federally authorized rescue organization, and kept at University of New England Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center for short-term care before being transported to Riverhead Oct. 25, 2012, the foundation stated.