Seven Beached Dolphins Rescued On Cape Cod

WELLFLEET, MA — Thanks to a community effort between the National Park Service, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), AmeriCorps members and trained volunteers in Wellfleet, MA, seven Atlantic white-sided dolphins were safely returned to the ocean.

Initial calls to IFAW's Stranding Hotline early Wednesday morning suggested at least three dolphins were stranded in Herring River. With the threat of an outgoing tide, local experts knew they'd have to work quickly.

The IFAW says Wellfleet is a global stranding hotspot because of its hook-shaped shoreline and large tidal range, making events like this one common in the area. Responders reached the dolphins right at morning low tide, just before 8 a.m.

“The dolphins appeared alert and in good health, but the day was sure to be sunny and warm and we needed to move quickly," Misty Niemeyer, an Animal Rescue Officer for IFAW, said.

The team knew they'd need to release the dolphins into a different area, because animals in the shallow gut of the Herring River "often get caught in a repetitive cycle of tides and re-strand," Niemeyer said.

With the dolphins wrapped in cooling blankets to maintain a healthy body temperature, the IFAW team put them in their mobile dolphin rescue clinic vehicle. The dolphins were released at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown.

Experts say they fitted the largest dolphin with a temporary satellite tag, so they'll be monitoring the pod over the next few days.