The following is from the International Fund for Animal Welfare:
A late day response effort for the stranding of three common dolphins ended with the successful release of all dolphins from Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown, MA.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) responded to a report of three stranded common dolphins at Wellfleet, MA.
“Our mobile dolphin rescue vehicle was custom-built to respond to complicated mass stranding events like this,” said Misty Niemeyer, Stranding Coordinator – Marine Mammal Rescue at IFAW.
The call to IFAW’s stranding hotline came yesterday, March 27th, with a report of three common dolphins swimming in shallow waters in Cape Cod Bay. With the tide quickly receding, IFAW’s marine mammal rescue team responders reached the site. As the response team arrived and were monitoring the dolphins, all three stranded on the mudlfat.
As the rescuers sprung into action to assess the health of the three dolphins, IFAW’s mobile dolphin rescue vehicle arrived on the scene. The rescue team loaded all three dolphins into the rescue vehicle to transport them to a deep-water release site in Provincetown, MA.
While underway to the release site, responders were able to conduct diagnostic health tests and treatments on the dolphins and determined that while all three were stressed from the stranding event, they were healthy enough to be released. One dolphin was fitted with temporary satellite tag that enables the team to continue to track the animals movements at sea. All three dolphins were released successfully.
IFAW’s marine mammal rescue team recently marked its 25-year anniversary and has responded to over 7,000 strandings in that time.
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