Dolphin Rescue Courtesy of IFAW
YARMOUTH PORT – The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) recently announced that their marine mammal rescue team responded to calls involving three different species in Cape waters in a single day.
The initial call was in response to Tuesday’s reports that a massive 57-foot fin whale had washed up in Wellfleet.
The team performed a necropsy of the deceased whale, but initial findings were inconclusive as to the cause of death.
As the first team was away a second team responded to reports of a yearling gray seal in poor condition in Truro, which returned to the sea as the tides came in.
A third report drew another team to the site of a dolphin stranded in Eastham, where rescue teams tried to perform life-saving treatment on the dolphin which unfortunately did not survive.
“The initial report of a stranded whale in Wellfleet came in on Tuesday, said Misty Niemeyer, Animal Rescue Officer at IFAW. “We knew from initial photos that we were likely dealing with a fin whale, which is not only the second largest mammal in thew world, but also listed as an endangered species according the globally recognized IUCN Red List.
“Fin whales are frequently seen swimming in waters just off Cape Cod,” she continued, “so while not surprising, it is unfortunate that they are also occasionally found stranded on our beaches. Fin whales face similar human caused threats as other whale species, such as entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes.”
To report a stranded whale, dolphin or seal in Cape Cod or Southeastern MA, dial the IFAW stranding hotline at 508- 743-9548
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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