International Effort to Rescue 125 Dolphins Stranded on Cape Cod

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Written By Kanisha Laing

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About 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins got stuck on Cape Cod on Friday, and sadly, at least 10 of them died. An animal rescue organization, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, was involved in a major effort to help them.

The dolphins were stranded at The Gut, also known as Great Island, in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and at the Herring River. It’s a challenging area with dangerous mud, especially during low tide at 11:23 a.m.

Rescuers were wading in shallow water, trying to guide the dolphins back to deeper waters. They used boats and underwater pingers to help steer the dolphins in the right direction.

According to Stacey Hedman, the communications director for the organization, there’s no definitive reason why dolphins strand themselves. Cape Cod is known worldwide for dolphin strandings because of its coastline’s shape and changing tides.

Over 25 staff members from IFAW and about 100 volunteers, along with support from other organizations like Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Center for Coastal Studies, AmeriCorps of Cape Cod, and the New England Aquarium, were involved in the rescue.

Hedman noted that this was the largest mass stranding event IFAW has responded to in its 25-year history.

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