Seven dolphins stranded themselves at Cape Cod, Mass., Thursday — the latest in a series of strandings in the area.
Local officials in Wellfleet and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) were monitoring up to 70 dolphins swimming in Wellfleet Harbor, concerned they too may be in danger of becoming beached, after two of the seven died.
On Thursday afternoon, IFAW rescuers had carried two of the remaining five live dolphins off the low-tide mud flats and loaded them onto a truck. After an examination of their health, IFAW planned to transport all the rescued dolphins to Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, where they would be released.
Thursday’s strandings come on the heels of other similar incidents within the past week, including Saturday when about 30 dolphins were involved in what IFAW officials termed “one of the largest dolphin strandings in this area ever.” Officials found stranded dolphins in Dennis, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham and Wellfleet.
As of Wednesday, 27 dolphins had been found alive and 19 had been released in local waters, according to Katie Moore, director of the marine mammal rescue team.
Most marine mammal strandings occur between January and April and Cape Cod is one of the world’s hot spots for the tragic events, along with areas in Australia and New Zealand.
The reason why these animals end up stranded remains elusive, according to experts.
Source: Fox News