Nearly 60 dolphins have been stranded on the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in recent days, leading to an emergency rescue effort led by the Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Team of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
Of the 27 dolphins that were found alive, only 19 were able to be saved and returned to deeper waters, where rescuers hope they’ll be able to locate and join another pod. Satellite tracking devices placed on 5 of the marine mammals will be used to follow their whereabouts.
Strandings of marine mammals are not uncommon on the Cape, but beachings in these numbers are atypical.
“No one knows for sure why animals strand, but mass strandings of whales and dolphins have happened on Cape Cod for hundreds of years,” said Katie Moore, IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Manager.
“The topography of the Cape is likely a factor, with its hook-like shape, gently sloping beaches and extensive sand and mud flats. Animals may become disoriented and trapped by the complex inlets. Dolphins are also very social animals and stick together for better or worse,” she added.
In the video, Dr. Ian Robinson, emergency Relief Director for the IFAW discusses the incident and rescue effort with FOXNews in Boston.
