45 stranded dolphins rescued on Wellfleet beach

WELLFLEET, Mass. — A large group of stranded dolphins were rescued in Wellfleet on Sunday by a team at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) based in Yarmouth.

The Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team received a report by the Wellfleet harbormaster around 8 a.m. saying that a number of dolphins were stranded. When the team went to investigate, they found 45 dolphins in need of critical rescue.

This was one of the largest marine mammal response efforts for the team on the Cape, according to Stacey Hedman, global marketing strategy manager for IFAW.

Many of the dolphins were sunburned and overheating, Hedman said.

When high tide came in, many of the dolphins refloated. The team deployed two boats to herd the dolphins back to open water. The dolphins didn’t respond to that, but they spread out and left the area.

The team was able to extract 11 dolphins, Hedman said, while two had to be euthanized as they were in poor condition.

The other nine dolphins were cleared to be released and taken to a nearby beach for fast access to open, deep water.

The team also responded to another dolphin stranded Sunday night.

Hedman said it is important to report any stranded marine mammal you find stranded or injured. The IFAW’s hotline is (508) 743-9548.

For the safety of both people and animals, and to reduce stress to the animal, Hedman said to remain 150 feet away from any wild animal you encounter.

Cox Media Group