( CNN ) What does it take to help a single dolphin entangled in fishing line ? In the recent case of a dolphin calf rescued off the eastern coast of Florida , about two days of effort involving seven boats and 35 people from 12 institutions and organizations . And that was after four weeks spent finding him and evaluating his situation to see whether it warranted intervention . With spring approaching , marine experts say it 's a good reminder to look after your belongings when you take to the water . From plastic bags to swimming trunks to crab pots , marine life can get entangled in all manner of human debris . With limited time and resources , experts ca n't save them all . `` You really want to make sure you keep all your hands on your stuff , '' said Elizabeth Stratton , National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries ' assistant marine mammal stranding coordinator for the southeast region . `` We feel a special responsibility in cases where an animal 's health is in danger because of debris introduced by humans , '' said Stratton , who was involved in last week 's rescue . So where does an intervention begin ? A couple spotted the calf off the coast of Fort Pierce with monofilament line wrapped around his rostrum , or snout . The mammal was riding the wake of their boat . They reported it January 18 to the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution , which set out to find the calf and his mother . The group found the pair and took more pictures , which were sent to the NOAA Fisheries on February 9 for evaluation . The photos revealed monofilament line wrapped around the calf 's upper jaw , cutting into the tissue to the bone , threatening his ability to eat or possibly leading to infection . Veterinarians who reviewed the photos deemed the injuries potentially life-threatening . `` We ca n't disentangle every animal , '' Stratton said , `` but If it comes back as life-threatening , we mobilize to do disentanglement . '' The next step was to find the creatures again . Through characteristics on the mother 's dorsal fin , the group was able to identify her through records on file and target her home range for a search . After a two-day search , the group found the dolphins on Friday and approached for intervention . The process took about an hour , from netting the calf and his mother to sending them on their way , Stratton said . Apart from the fishing line both mother and son were in good condition . Rescuers gave the calf a long-lasting antibiotic and radio-tagged the mother before releasing them to the ocean `` where they belong , '' Stratton said . The moral of the story for humans : `` Be conscious of your gear . '' To report an injured marine mammal , call 877-WHALEHELP ( 877-942-5343 ) .
It took last week 's and an hour for rescuers to help a dolphin calf . Fishing line was wrapped around its rostrum . Dolphin was rescued off the eastern coast of Florida .