Stranded Marine Mammal Rescue - Global
When the tide is low, the stakes are high for marine mammalsIFAW responds to the largest dolphin mass stranding in IFAW's history
IFAW responds to the largest dolphin mass stranding in IFAW's history
On Sunday morning, the team was monitoring six dolphins in Wellfleet Harbour. One dolphin became stranded and was in poor condition, so it was humanely euthanised. ‘This is not only important for the welfare of that animal, but also helps us to be more successful in herding the remaining animals out,’ says Katie Moore, Deputy Vice President of Rescue at IFAW. ‘The very social nature of these dolphins means that they will stick together even in a bad situation. By removing individuals that are not well, the group may be more easily moved offshore.’
As they assessed options for helping these animals, they received a report of about 20 dolphins stranded in Brewster. Of those 20, two died before our team arrived on the scene. The remainder are now swimming safely offshore.
This is an evolving situation. Please keep checking that page for future updates.
June 29, 2024
Mass stranding of 125 dolphins continues Saturday
Following the 16-plus-hour response to 125 mass stranded dolphins on Friday, our team returned to the water in Wellfleet on Saturday morning, 29 June. They found 10 dolphins swimming in Duck Creek, one of the shallower inlets of Wellfleet’s inner harbour, and successfully herded them towards deeper water.
Volunteers scouted beaches along three towns, looking for stranded animals and confirming reports from beachgoers. Other volunteers assisted with data collection from the dolphins that did not survive.
IFAW staff remained in a boat throughout the day, encouraging these dolphins to swim away from the flats. In Eastham, our staff spotted an additional group of 25 dolphins, not stranded but swimming close to the shore.
We also received reports of large groups of dolphins, some of which had been tagged—meaning they were part of the stranded group on Friday—swimming successfully off Eastham and Brewster in Cape Cod Bay.
June 28, 2024
Rescuers respond mass dolphin stranding on Cape Cod
In the early morning of Friday, 28 June, IFAW’s marine mammal rescue team responded to a report of 10 Atlantic white-sided dolphins close to shore off Wellfleet, Massachusetts. But when they arrived on the scene, it was not just 10 dolphins, but 80 to 100. These numbers later escalated to 125—the largest single mass stranding IFAW has ever seen in our 26-year history on Cape Cod.
The dolphins were stuck in the shallow mud flats of Wellfleet’s Herring River ‘Gut’—a location known to be a hotspot for mass strandings due to its hook-like shape and extreme tidal fluctuations.
‘We were able to provide supportive care, help those that were struggling, and keep them comfortable and ready for the incoming tide,’ said Misty Niemeyer, IFAW stranding coordinator. First, the team worked on foot to herd the dolphins into deeper waters. As the tide came in, they switched to boats. Two IFAW vessels and the Wellfleet Harbormaster worked until sunset Friday night.
By then, most of the dolphins found their way to deeper waters, but a dozen or more remained swimming in the harbor. Before the team arrived, 10 dolphins had already died.
Niemeyer described how the rescue team faced challenges due to the number of dolphins, the large area, the muddy conditions, and the complicated locations from which the rescuers had to reach the animals. ‘It was a 12-hour, exhausting response in the unrelenting sun,’ Niemeyer said, ‘but the team was able to overcome the various challenges and give the dolphins their best chance at survival.’
Friday’s effort involved at least 25 IFAW staff, 70 trained volunteers, and assistance from AmeriCorps of Cape Cod, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the New England Aquarium, the Center for Coastal Studies, and the Wellfleet Harbormaster.
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