Four Days To Save Hundreds Of Dolphins

In late June, Wellfleet saw the biggest mass stranding of dolphins in US history. It was uncharted waters even for the experienced rescue teams...

How do you save a dolphin?

In late June, Wellfleet saw the biggest mass stranding of dolphins in US history. It was uncharted waters even for the experienced rescue teams. Pattie Walsh, rescue volunteer worked tirelessly to save 146 stranded dolphins during four fateful days.

Whenever Walsh is close to the water, she is always scanning for fins. Having been a volunteer responder for the International Fund for Animal Welfare's (IFAW) Marine Mammal Rescue Team for almost 20 years has made its mark on her. "I've watched grown men cry at the release
of these animals," she said. "You watch them all head out together, they all know each other and they swim off together."

What is IFAW?

When IFAW's hotline got a report of a stranded dolphin in Herring River in the Wellfleet Bay, it was business as usual for the experienced rescue team. Cape Cod is a global hotspot for dolphin strandings and a fourth of all alive strandings in the U.S. happen between Yarmouth and Wellfleet. Walsh, just like every available volunteer responder on Cape Cod, got called in by IFAW. She was told there were about six dolphins stranded in The Gut, a narrow strand covering the entrance into the Wellfleet harbor area. Patty got in her car and did not check her phone again. However as she was driving the numbers quickly grew to double digits and then triple. By there time she arrived near The Gut, IFAW had counted 110 stranded dolphins.

"I looked around and I saw these bodies everywhere," Walsh said. "I have never seen anything like it."

Why do dolphins strand?

It was uncharted waters even for the experienced rescue team. The team managed to save 102 dolphins, while 37 died naturally and seven had to be euthanized. In the wake of the stranding IFAW is trying to answer the question: why?

The silver lining of being the world's leading spot for strandings is there are plenty of opportunities to learn and do research. That is why IFAW opened a teaching hospital in Orleans, the Dolphin Rescue Center. Brian Sharp, Manager of the Marine Mammal Rescue Team, is leading the work at the center. He was hoping that the necropsies - aka animal autopsies- on six of the dolphins would give clues the help answer the questions.

Dolphins have stranded on Cape Cod for hundreds of years, but the frequency is increasing. During the past 26 years since the rescue team was formed, IFAW is seeing annual increases of almost a hundred stranding cases year, including both cetaceans and seals.

"We know species are changing," said Brian. "We are seeing some indications from climate change. We collect as much data as we can, so hopefully that picture becomes clearer in the future."

How do you save a dolphin? Scroll up to the photo to watch the video to learn about the volunteers' work during the four fateful rescue days.