Animal rescue teams try to keep dozens of dolphins out of Cape Cod’s shallow waters after mass strandings

WELLFLEET, Mass. (AP) — Animal rescuers were trying to keep dozens of dolphins out of the shallow waters around Cape Cod on Saturday after 125 of the creatures they ran aground one day earlier.

Teams in Massachusetts found a pod of 10 Atlantic dolphins swimming in a dangerously shallow area early Saturday and were able to herd them into deeper water, the International Fund for Animal Welfare said.

Scouts also found a second pod of 25 dolphins swimming close to shore near Eastham, the organization said, with herding efforts underway as the tide receded during the morning.

Ten dolphins died during a stranding on Friday at The Gut – or Great Island – in Wellfleet on the Herring River.

The organization said it was the largest mass stranding it has faced on the Cape during its 26-year history in the area. The Gut is the site of frequent strandings, which experts believe is due in part to its hook-shaped shape and extreme tidal fluctuations.

Misty Niemeyer, the organization’s stranding coordinator, said rescuers faced many challenges on Friday, including difficult muddy conditions and the dolphins being dispersed over a large area.

“It was an exhausting 12-hour response under the relentless sun, but the team was able to overcome the various challenges and give the dolphins the best chance of survival,” Niemeyer said in a statement.

The team started on foot, taking the creatures to deeper waters and then used three small boats equipped with underwater pinters, according to the organization.

Those helping with the rescue effort include more than 25 organization employees and 100 trained volunteers. The group also received support from Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Center for Coastal Studies, AmeriCorps of Cape Cod and the New England Aquarium.