ORLEANS, Mass. — A troubling record was set on Cape Cod last year.
More dolphins stranded themselves there than ever before.
Rescue workers rushing to save stranded dolphins on local beaches is becoming a familiar sight.
“Cape Cod is actually a global stranding hot spot,” said Jane Hoppe, the Animal Care Manager for IFAW, the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
She said 25% of the live cetacean strandings, which include dolphins, porpoises, and whales, which happen in the United States occur in Massachusetts.
“2024 was our busiest year on record. We had 600 animals total.”
In 2023, IFAW opened the Dolphin Rescue Center in Orleans. It’s a first-of-its-kind facility.
“Our dolphin rescue center is really an innovative pilot project that we took on that really seeks to improve post-release survival for stranded dolphins. The animal patients we have in-house here are really those animals that would benefit from additional care, and whose medical needs really outweigh what we’re able to provide in the field.”
The hospital features a 17 by 30 foot pool which holds about 13,000 gallons of water.
Veterinarians have access to diagnostic tools like an ultrasound which allows them to easily check the heart, lungs, and kidneys to see if there are any abnormalities.
An on-site laboratory allows scientists to analyze blood and tissue samples with a much quicker turnaround.
Another focus of the Dolphin Resource Center is to figure out why so many strandings take place along the Massachusetts shoreline.
Hoppe said Wellfleet has the most mass standings.
“They can get caught in many different areas. There are a lot of different bays and rivers they can go up.”
One problem on the bay side is just how far and how fast low tide recedes, which might trap a dolphin.
“It could be a wrong place, wrong time situation for these animals. Potentially, they get disoriented,” explained Hoppe.
Another issue is warming waters associated with climate change. That could be changing the way their prey migrates and lead them into dangerous areas.
“We sometimes have entanglements or animals that could have been hit. You know vessel strikes.”
Before any animal is sent to the Dolphin Rescue Center, they’ll get their first round of treatment from people like Danielle Stone who works at the Rescue Operations Center.
This facility is staffed 24/7 and responds to all of Cape Cod and parts of Buzzards Bay to provide emergency treatment.
They rely on a network of about 200 volunteers.
When a call comes in, Stone said “We’ll mobilize one of our dolphin vehicles with support devices, stretchers towels, sheets medications if the veterinarian has warranted, and once we get there, we’ll support the animal.”
They also have a large mobile rescue van which they call MOBY.
In this vehicle, Stone says they can admit the animal for treatment and “treat the animal for shock because essentially the stranding is like a car accident for them.”
All the rescue work is geared towards helping the dolphins get back to their natural habitat within 96 hours.
Their emergency hotline is 1-506-743-9548. It’s staffed around the clock.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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