Baby dolphin saved from Japan rice field

A baby dolphin has been saved after being dumped in a rice field by the tsunami which hit Japans coast earlier this month.

The dolphin was spotted about 2 kilometres away from the coast in a flooded field says Ryo Taira, a pet shop owner who has been rescuing abandoned animals after the huge earthquake and tsunami on March 11.

"A man passing by said he had found the dolphin in the rice paddy and that we had to do something to save it," Taira told Reuters.

He attempted to net the 1.2 metre dolphin out of the shallow water but ended up wading into the field.

“It was pretty weak by then, which was probably the only reason we could catch it.”

With the help of some friends he got the dolphin back to the ocean as quickly as possible.

Taira says the dolphin appeared to perk up when it was released into the water but he is unsure whether it survived or not.

“But it's certainly a lot better than dying in a rice paddy."