Actor Andrew Walker has played lots of cool roles in his tenure as one of Hallmark’s biggest stars, from pilot to firefighter to hockey pro. But nothing quite compares to his latest role as a real-life dolphin rescuer.
On May 6, 2025, Walker and his wife Cassandra Troy leaped into action when they spotted an animal in distress near the Vancouver home where they’re staying. The couple shared an Instagram video of their epic adventure, working with trained rescuers to get the injured dolphin to safety.
Sadly, the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society (VAMMR), one of the organizations called to the scene, confirmed with EntertainmentNow on May 8 that the Pacific white-sided dolphin died from injuries likely sustained in a killer whale attack despite “around-the-clock care from veterinary and volunteer teams.” A necropsy will be performed to confirm the exact cause of death, per the VAMMR.
Despite the sad outcome, Walker told EntertainmentNow the rescue was an “incredible experience” and Troy wrote in her post that they are so “grateful for the people doing this work every day.”
Andrew Walker & Wife Cassandra Troy Helped Rescuers Carry Dolphin to Safety
The dolphin rescue unfolded close to the home where Walker’s family, including Troy and their two young sons, are staying, located near a bird sanctuary along the muddy shoreline of an inlet.
“Some birders noticed a fin going back and forth in the shallow water,” Walker told EntertainmentNow on May 8, noting that the group found “a dolphin with scratch marks on her back, by herself, which is not normal for dolphins.”
The birders called VAMMR, which said the dolphin got stuck in the mud while rescuers from their team and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) were en route. In the meantime, Walker said, he and Troy put on their rainboots for trekking through the mud and raced out to see if the group needed help. He said they even brought scissors, thinking it might be a sea lion caught in a fishing net.
Once the rescuers arrived, Walker said, they “propped the dolphin into a carrying tarp with handles.” Amazed that dolphins can weigh 250 pounds, he told EntertainmentNow, “they needed extra hands to take turns” holding and carrying the tarp.
“Since our house has direct access to the water and street, they used our backyard and driveway to carry her through,” Walker said. “In the end, we had a group of caring neighbors, birders and the rescue team, and with their direction we all helped to carry her to the van. They were so professional and caring. It was an incredible experience.”
The male dolphin, whom rescuers nicknamed Pickles, was then transported to VAMMR for “stabilization and emergency care,” per the organization, which responds to more than 300 marine mammal emergencies every year. The nonprofit is Canada’s only dedicated marine mammal rescue facility and aims to eventually release each animal it cares for back into the ocean.
Some of Andrew Walker’s Hallmark Pals Have Rescued Wildlife, Too
Though Walker may now take the cake for the most dramatic wildlife rescue, he’s not the only Hallmark star to save a stranded animal in the last year.
In September, Tyler Hynes — Walker’s co-star in the “Three Wise Men and a Baby” movies and Troy’s first cousin — saved a seagull trapped in fishing net along the shoreline of a cottage he owns in Canada.
An Instagram video Hynes posted showed him walking along the muddy shoreline with a scissors and kneeling down to help the scared and stuck bird. Despite it flapping its wings in fear, Hynes gained its trust as he gently cut away fishing line wrapped around the bird’s webbed foot.
Meanwhile, Walker and Hynes’ Hallmark pal Jonathan Bennett also saved a bird at his California home in late February. He posted a TikTok video, taken by husband Jaymes Vaughan, in which he used a towel to capture a hummingbird that got stuck in their house and kept hitting a window, trying to escape.
The “Finding Mr. Christmas” star gingerly carried the towel out to their backyard and watched the little bird soar as he said, “Okay, fly little guy!”
Fans and friends have been thrilled by all three Hallmark stars’ wildlife rescues, including one who wrote on the dolphin post, “How beautiful the Walkers are heroes 🐬”
Comments
Andrew Walker’s ‘Incredible’ Dolphin Rescue: Here’s What Happened (EXCLUSIVE)