IFAW Crews Rescue Dolphin Trapped in Ice

COURTESY IFAW A dolphin trapped in the ice was rescued in Wellfleet and was released hours later off the coast of Truro.

COURTESY IFAW
A dolphin trapped in the ice was rescued in North Truro and was released hours later off the coast of Provincetown.

NORTH TRURO – Staff with the International Fund for Animal Welfare rescued a common dolphin Tuesday afternoon in the shallow waters of Cape Cod Bay in North Truro.

Brian Sharp, IFAW’s Division Head of the Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program, said the 100-pound female was trapped in sea ice.

Dolphins getting trapped in sea ice near the Cape is not a common occurrence, according to Sharp.

“It was very close to shore, and this is something that is very unique,” said Sharp. “This is one of the first times that we have seen this.”

Sharp said the marine mammal was very distressed when crews arrived and luckily was able to keep its head above the water level.

“We assessed the animal’s health, provided medical treatment and relocated the animal to Herring Cove in Provincetown,” said Sharp. “It has really good access to deep water there so we can release right from the beach, and also, there was no sea ice there.”

IFAW crews also rescued a harbor porpoise on Sunday that was stranded on the beach in the same area.

Sharp does not know what caused that animal’s stranding but says beach stranding are common for Cape Cod.

“Cape Cod is internationally one of the biggest hot spots for live dolphin and porpoise strandings,” he said.

Sharp says the Cape’s shape creates a kind of dolphin trap as many come in to feed and end up on the eastern side of Cape Cod Bay.



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