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Disoriented dolphins continue to approach Cape

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February 11, 2012|By Colin A. Young

Five more dolphins stranded themselves on Cape Cod, even as another 50 that were in “grave danger” were herded by boats away from shore, animal welfare officials said today.

Michael Boothcq, a spokesman for the International Fund for Animal Welfarecq, said the dolphins stranded themselves at Sandy Neckcq in Barnstablecq Thursday evening. Threecq were found dead; the other two were assessed and released at Town Neck Beachcq in Sandwichcq.

The organization also used boats with “pingers,” devices that emit a sonic signal, to herd more than 50 dolphinscq out of Wellfleet Bay Thursday evening, Booth said.cq

“They were in danger of stranding. Low tide was about an hour away when we were herding them,” Booth said. “They were in very grave danger.”

Booth said the organization’s crews were at two locations today investigating reports of more strandings.

Since Jan. 12, a total of 160 dolphinscq have stranded themselves on the beaches of Cape Cod. The organization released 40cq of the mammals successfully, but 120 have diedcq.

“That 160 number will likely go up,” Booth said.

The stranding is the largest single-species stranding event ever recorded in the Northeast.