195 dolphins strandCourtesy of International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
March 2012. The mass stranding event of common dolphins in Cape Cod that started in January 12, 2012 officially ended on February 16th with a total of 179 stranded dolphins (Found dead: 108; Found alive: 71 - Of which 53 were successfully released). Since no new dolphin strandings were reported during seven full days after that date, the event was considered to have finished. However more dolphins have been stranding since 1st March.
March 2012. The mass stranding event of common dolphins in Cape Cod that started in January 12, 2012 officially ended on February 16th with a total of 179 stranded dolphins (Found dead: 108; Found alive: 71 - Of which 53 were successfully released). Since no new dolphin strandings were reported during seven full days after that date, the event was considered to have finished. However more dolphins have been stranding since 1st March.
More strandingsUnfortunately, the incredibly busy stranding season in 2012 was not done. On the 1st of March, six common dolphins stranded at Boat Meadow Landing in Eastham. Two dolphins died shortly after stranding and four were released off of Herring Cove Beach in Wellfleet.
- On March 6th, three additional common dolphins stranded near the Chequessett Yacht Club in Wellfleet. Sadly, one of the dolphins was injured and had to be humanely euthanized. The two other dolphins were successfully released off of Herring Cove Beach once again.
- On the 8th of March, another single-stranded common dolphin was rescued on Skaket Beach in Orleans. Although officially counted as 'one', an ultrasound quickly confirmed the team's suspicion that the dolphin was in the final stages of her pregnancy. Extra care was taken to perform health assessments and transport her to Scusset Beach in Sagamore for release that night.
- On March 9 an individual dolphin stranded in Wellfleet and was promptly rescued satellite-tagged and released.
- On March 10, teams found 11 dolphins swimming and were able to herd all but one of them out of Wellfleet Bay. A lone animal stranded on Duck Creek. That dolphin was collected and transported by boat to Jeremy Point and released in close proximity to where the other 10 were headed.
- The following day (March 11), two more common dolphins stranded in Wellfleet. The team extricated them and as they were being carted to the rescue trailer one of the animals died. The second dolphin was successfully released with a satellite tag off of Head of the Meadow in Truro and headed offshore.
195 strandings so far in 2012 - Average annual number 38A total of 195 common dolphins have stranded in calendar year 2012 which far exceeds the annual average of 38 common dolphin strandings in Cape Cod.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team is busy responding to these new strandings and analyzing the incredible amount of data gathered these last two months.
For those asking how they can help other than donating, if you live in the US, take a moment to tell Congress to re-instate funding cut from the Prescott Grant program on which IFAW teams rely on heavily.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team is busy responding to these new strandings and analyzing the incredible amount of data gathered these last two months.
For those asking how they can help other than donating, if you live in the US, take a moment to tell Congress to re-instate funding cut from the Prescott Grant program on which IFAW teams rely on heavily.
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