Seven dolphins rescued off the coast of Cape Cod

Seven dolphins are back in the open ocean after a rescue operation for the stranded porpoises off the coast of Cape Cod Sunday afternoon.

According to the International Fund of Animal Welfare, a group of 16 large common dolphins was spotted off Wellfleet Harbor early Sunday morning. According to the IFAW, Wellfleet’s inner harbor is a world-famous spot for mass-stranding events and staff and volunteers attempted to respond quickly to assess the situation but were halted by high winds.

Eight of the dolphins became stranded when the tide receded at 10:45 a.m.

The IFAW deployed custom-built mobile dolphin rescue units to transport the porpoises.

“We were able to give the dolphins treatment and supportive care to counter the effects of trauma of what probably feels like a car accident to a stranded dolphin,” said Nicole Hunter, IFAW’s assistant coordinator to the marine mammal rescue team.

The eight dolphins were released off West Dennis Beach at 4:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the final stage of the operation was not without tragedy. One of the dolphins had to be euthanized due to its declining condition and to prevent further suffering.

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