Rescue teams from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) successfully extricated two dolphins from a difficult-to-navigate shallow river and released them off Cape Cod. The operation took place yesterday and underscores the ongoing challenges marine life experiences.
Initial reports of dolphins sighted near the mouth of Herring River in Wellfleet were what triggered the response from IFAW staff and volunteers. Two dolphins were located in an infamously treacherous section of the river known as 'the gut', notorious for its shallow, muddy flats. Despite the high tide, attempts to herd the dolphins to deeper waters failed.
The IFAW team, battling the elements and the closing of the tidal window, decided to shift gear at around 4 p.m. According to MassLive, a unique mobile dolphin rescue vehicle was used to safely remove and transport the two dolphins to a better location for release.
Yesterday, IFAW's marine rescue team undertook a full day effort to avoid a common dolphin stranding.
After initial herding attempts were unsuccessful, the decision was made to use IFAW's one-of-a-kind mobile dolphin rescue vehicle to transport them to a safe release site. pic.twitter.com/O9C43Bj9h6
Post-a full physical check-up and treatment to counteract the impacts of a being trapped in shallow water, the dolphins were moved to Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. Temporary satellite tags will be used by the IFAW to monitor the dolphins' movements in the forthcoming days to confirm their successful reintegration into their natural habitat.
On the tough and physically draining day, Lauren Cooley, an Animal Rescue Responder and Stranding Biologist with the IFAW, commented. "It was a long, tiring day for these dolphins, and with the tide going out, we knew their greatest chance for survival was to transport them to deeper waters," said Cooley.
