eight dolphins released back to the wild off Cape Cod

Eight dolphins released back to the wild off Cape Cod, MA

(Cape Cod, MA – November 20, 2022) – Eight dolphins were released back to open waters off West Dennis Beach, Massachusetts today after a report of 16 large common dolphins circling close to shore.

The animals were first spotted off Wellfleet Harbor near the mouth of Duck Creek, as reported to IFAW’s (International Fund for Animal Welfare) stranding hotline just after the 8:12am high tide. Expert staff and volunteers from IFAW responded quickly on-site to assess the dolphins’ location and behavior.

“The first call came in at about 8:30am today, and our teams were able to get on the road and quickly respond before the dolphins were further in trouble,” said Nicole Hunter, IFAW’s assistant coordinator to the marine mammal rescue team.

“The area within Wellfleet’s inner harbor is a world recognized hotspot for mass stranding events, due to its severe tidal fluctuations and the shallow flats that form a distinctive ‘hook within a hook’ thanks to Cape Cod’s unique geography.”

High winds prevented a response by boat, but eight of the dolphins did eventually strand at approximately 10:45 as the tide quickly receded.

“The IFAW team was able to safely extract the animals and transport them via IFAW’s custom-built mobile dolphin rescue unit—a vehicle that is capable of supporting up to nine marine mammals en route to deeper waters for safe release,” added Hunter. “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.”

The eight dolphins were released off West Dennis Beach by 4:00pm, two with temporary satellite tags. Unfortunately, the release was not without difficulty, and additional support was required to encourage the pod further away from shore. One of the dolphins was later euthanized due to its declining condition and to prevent further suffering. 

High resolution images available HERE (©IFAW)