Rescuers freed a humpback dolphin from a small Thai lagoon where the Asian tsunami had dumped it – returning it today to the Andaman Sea in a rare story of survival 10 days after the massive waves crushed tourist resorts in the surrounding Khao Lak area.

Frustrated rescue workers will have to wait until Saturday to make a third attempt to free a humpback dolphin and her calf from a small Thailand lagoon where the Asian tsunami dumped them 10 days ago, a wildlife expert said today.

While the walls of water that devoured Asian shorelines served as reminders of the fragility of life, fresh crops of survivors became a testament to its resilience.

Rescuers were attempting today to save two dolphins trapped in a small lagoon created when tsunami waves swept them ashore in southern Thailand on St Stephen's Day.