On January 18th we posted a blog about a dolphin stranding and the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s (IFAW) emergency response and their research conducted to understand why dolphins strand in Cape Cod.  

Stranding season was in “full swing” when that blog was written and while the IFAW knew it was not close to being over they were not anticipating this week’s staggering realization: “In the past 26 days alone, the number of stranded dolphins has already surpassed the average number of strandings in 12 months,” blogged Fred O’ Regan, President and CEO of IFAW on February 8th.

Yesterday, Katie Moore Manager of Marine Mammal Rescue and Research (MMRR) said: “Since January 12th, we have had 161 dolphins strand in less than a month.” The MMRR team has been working ceaselessly and volunteers patrol beaches trying to anticipate strandings. Even as Moore was blogging a team was in Wellfleet, Massachusetts waiting to see if a dolphin would strand as the tide fell.  While MMRR has a 70% success rate, with 40 dolphins being released to date, 104 dolphins have not made it back to the Atlantic.

The knowledge they have gained from studying the dolphins that didn’t make it has provided no clues yet as to why the dolphins strand. The information has made providing effective medical care to the surviving dolphins easier. MMRR also places identification tags on dolphins before release for monitoring purposes to see how many dolphins repeatedly strand or meet up with a pod.

Last week Moore spoke to members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and congressmen at a briefing in Washington D.C. about IFAW’s work and the enormity of the recent strandings.  She mentioned the John H. Prescott Stranding Grant Program which is a federal grant made possible through NOAA but could be cut from the budget. The federal grant along with individual donations fund majority of MMRR team’s work and rescue efforts.

The past month has been draining on the staff, volunteers, supplies, and funds. The IFAW is working with three other organizations the New England Aquarium, the state of Maine, and the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation in New York to respond to the dolphins. Moore is sure her team is running on “almost pure adrenaline.” 

Unfortunately, adrenaline alone can only support the team for so long and IFAW is in desperate need of donations. The website will accept donations through Pay-Pal or with a credit card. Dolphin strandings are expected to occur through April and IFAW encourages beach-goers to call their emergency hotline at 508-743-9548 if they see a stranded marine mammal south of Plymouth through Rhode Island.