WELLFLEET, Mass. (AP) — As many as 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins became stranded on Cape Cod Friday and at least 10 died, prompting an intensive rescue effort, an animal rescue organization said.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare confirmed it is helping the dolphins trapped at The Gut (also known as Great Island) in Wellfleet, on the Herring River in Massachusetts.
The group described the area as a very difficult location with dangerous mud.
With low tide at 11:23 a.m., the team was on foot in shallow water trying to herd the dolphins back to deeper water, the group said. The organization has three small boats in the water to continue the herding and uses underwater pingers to point the dolphins in the right direction.
“There is no fixed reason why these dolphins become stranded. Cape Cod is a global hot spot for strandings because of the curvature of our coasts and the fluctuations of our tides,” said Stacey Hedman, communications director for the group.
At least 25 IFAW staff and 100 volunteers were on site. The group also received support from Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Center for Coastal Studies, AmeriCorps of Cape Cod and the New England Aquarium.
“This is the largest mass stranding in the history of IFAW’s response in the last 25 years,” Hedman added.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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