Featured Image Credit:ABC News
By Natasha Lehr
On September 15th, a rescue event in the town of Wellfleet was unlike any The International Fund for Animal Welfare had undergone before. The full moon caused a drastic 12-foot drop in the ocean’s water level, and as the tide receded, it caused 16 white-sided dolphins to be stranded.
Although this region’s beaches see a number of marine animal strandings, 16 dolphins at one time was definitely abnormal. The large-scale stranding required hefty rescue tactics because the Atlantic white-sided dolphins weighed up to 500 pounds each and reached lengths of up to 9 feet. The rescue group, along with local residents and volunteers, used large trailers to transport the dolphins to Herring Cove Beach, where waters were deeper and considered to be safe. It took the rescue team four trips to transport all of the dolphins to the release site in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
After the health of the dolphins was assessed, they were freed back into the waters. Bravo to The International Fund for Animal Welfare team and all of the volunteers who helped rescue these beautiful white-sided dolphins! Keep up the news worthy work!
Article Source: Boston Globe