Crews work to save stranded dolphins in Wellfleet

WELLFLEET, Mass. -- Several dolphins that survived a mass stranding on Cape Cod have headed back out to sea.

Officials were alerted on Thursday around noon that 16 Atlantic white-sided dolphins were stranded in Wellfleet in the areas of Drummer's Cove and Lieutenant Island.

Eight dolphins have now been rescued. Seven are dead or missing, and rescuers worked to save the last dolphin on Friday evening.

"Fifty-fifty is great news. It's such a success. Twenty years ago, people said we could never do this. Ten years ago, lower numbers, maybe 14 percent. Now, we're up to at least half, and we're going to keep going," said A.J. Cody, rescue program deputy director.

"It's thrilling to see them saved. I've been worried about them all night," added Joanna Larance, a concerned resident.

Crews on Friday used a stretcher to transport a male and female dolphin back to the water at Herring Cove in Provincetown. The two were released about 10 feet apart and quickly swam towards each other.

"Totally amazing. It's a real privilege," said Louisa Allen, a volunteer who helped send the pair back into the bay.

"They're roughly about the same size. They're stranded together, so there's a good chance that they came from the same, larger group," added C.T. of International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Cape Cod residents spotted these two dolphins on Friday morning and directed rescuers where to locate them.

"These are smart mammals. I think any effort that you can make to save them and return them is well worth doing," said Ted Franklin, a resident.

The mammals that died will be used for research.

"It's a shame that they get lost and find their way into a place like this. Wellfleet has all these fingers, and they end up in the fingers stuck. The people here know how to get them out," said Traci Hay, who watched the rescue effort.

Experts say the animals seemed healthy and believe the shape of the Cape likely caused the mammals to become stranded.

"When you think about it, Cape Cod is a hook that sticks out in the ocean. Wellfleet is a hook that sticks out into the hook, so you have a double trap that often gets these animals," said Katie Moore, a rescue program manager.

Cape Cod is among the top three places in the world where marine life becomes stranded. Experts say about half the time, the strandings occur in Wellfleet, because of how its shoreline is shaped.

If you see an animal stranded on Cape Cod, contact the Cape Cod Stranding Network at 508-743-9548 or local authorities.

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