their pen now face a bleak future in the open sea. Dolphin Quest said the four had swum over the sea breaks as tides rose but they admit the dolphins aren't used to feeding themselves and will find fish stocks scarce in the Bermuda waters.

Dr. Rae Stone of Dolphin Quest, who run their dolphin pool as a private concern at the Southampton Princess, said: "We will feed them as soon as we have the conditions to reach them.'' But she admitted this might not be for days as there was a small craft warning and it was possible that the dolphins might swim away from Bermuda.

She said: "We would like to maintain visual contact and would hope members of the public would let us know if they see them.'' Disgusted bystanders watched in horror as the four trapped dolphins, including a mother and baby, took a battering from debris yesterday afternoon.

Between 4.30 p.m. and 6 p.m. the walkways and huge boxes came loose in the tiny compound as the dolphins bobbed to the surface and cried for help.

Passer-by Gary Lightbourne said: "The company had enough time to know about this. We've had Hurricane Floyd so they should have had an action plan ready.

"I won't be paying money to see the dolphins after seeing the way they treat them.'' Environmentalist Graeme Outerbridge fumed as the dolphins struggled: "They are taking a battering. One of them is cut badly.'' "Those of us who were concerned about the ethics of using dolphins have seen our fears realised.'' Dolphins in danger They've been abandoned to the raging sea. Paula Cox warned at the weekend that the storm was on its way but nothing was done.'' Mr. Outerbridge said the licence for the dolphin pool had been granted on condition that the dolphins would be rescued from storms.

He added: "There's not even a Dolphin Quest representative looking out for them.'' However Dr. Stone said it had not been possible to move the four as one was too young to be transported. At around 5.30 p.m. eye witnesses said they had seen one of the dolphins in the open water beyond the reefs.

When Dr. Stone arrived around a quarter of an hour later she claimed Sea Quest had been on the scene throughout the day.

Yet when asked how many dolphins were still in the pen she said someone was going down to the water's edge to find out.

When asked why the walkways hadn't been taken away she said debris was a big problem in the open ocean. "We have taken away as much fencing as we are physically capable of. The big problem is netting and rope.'' She later claimed the large walkway which had broken free was not a danger to the dolphins.

"It hasn't come apart - it's still connected with rope.'' Asked if she would feel responsible if the dolphins died Dr. Stone said: "I'm responsible for many decisions in my life. If they don't survive I'll be heartbroken.'' But she stood by her decision to leave the dolphins in their pen after four others were taken out over the weekend.

She said they couldn't move the calf so the mother had to stay while the other two adult males also had to stay.

She explained: "Dolphins work together as a social unit. They are the same as people.'' However she was unable to explain how they could work together to dodge debris. When The Royal Gazette left the scene after 6 p.m. at least three dolphins were trapped in the pen.

However Dr. Stone later rang the Gazette to say that the dolphins had swum out at 6 p.m.

She said: "It's good that they are out. They're playing in the surf.'' Yet earlier she had claimed the dolphins were better off in the pen as the seabreakers would help protect them.

Dr. Stone said they had wanted to swim the four animals to join their mates in the Maritime Museum in Dockyard but pressure from the National Marine and Fishery Service in America had stopped them.

"They feared the animals could carry diseases to dolphins in the wild but there aren't any dolphins here.'' The Gazette asked whether Dolphin Quest should have gone ahead anyway because the Maritime Marine and Fishery Service have no say over what happens in Bermudian waters.

Dr. Stone said: "That's a big issue for us.'' If you spot the missing dolphins call 238 3662 or e-mail Sea Quest on dqbermuda y dolphinquest with a date, time and location of the sighting.

Bermuda battens down for a `Gert' hurricane