Mass stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Cape Cod said to be largest in Massachusetts history
Rescuers were working to save around 19 bottlenose dolphins that got stranded off the coast of Cape Cod early Tuesday morning.
On Monday morning, around 30 dolphins had become stranded, making it the largest known stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Massachusetts, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The IFAW said that mass strandings can sometimes repeat in the following days.
The 30 dolphins had originally become stranded between First Light and Ellis Landing in Brewster at about 5:30 a.m. Monday, when they came in with the tide. A woman noticed the animals and reported it. The IFAW quickly responded to the area, but five to six of the marine mammals died before help arrived.
The IFAW worked throughout the day on Monday to get the mammals away from the shoreline before the next low tide at 5:13 p.m. They said late Monday afternoon that they were still successfully being steered away.
"Our team remains in the area to monitor and herd the animals away from shore," an IFAW spokesperson said.
However, on Tuesday morning, around 19 dolphins had become stranded again between Brewster and Wellfleet. The animals were in "decent condition" and had begun to refloat while the tide rose.
"We'll continue to monitor and coax them out of Wellfleet Bay to give them the best chance at survival," a spokesperson for the IFAW said.
The IFAW said they had tagged two of the mammals to track their movements and see whether they rejoined the rest of the larger pod.
The next low tide is at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday.
The organization said it had seen an uptick in bottlenose dolphins becoming stranded off Cape Cod in the last few years.
"Bottlenose dolphins are typically an offshore species," the spokesperson said.
They asked that anyone who encounters a stranded or distressed marine mammal not get close and never drag or push the animal back into the water.
"Similar to a person involved in a car accident, dolphins can become injured and exhausted during a stranding event," the IFAW said.
Instead, they recommend calling their IFAW stranding hotline at 508-743-9548.
