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Subscribe to RSSStaff and volunteers from the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team try to rescue and release stranded dolphins on Cape Cod. Msnbc.com's David Friedman reports.
Marine wildlife experts are at a loss to explain this winter’s unprecedented mass stranding of dolphins on the shores of Massachusetts' Cape Cod.
Volunteers on Tuesday helped refloat 10 more dolphins that were found in a muddy area commonly known as “the gut,” near the Herring River in the town of Wellfleet. An 11th dolphin died. On Monday, volunteers had rescued three other dolphins in the same vicinity, cared for them for several hours and successfully released them back into open water in Bourne, 52 miles away, an effort chronicled in the video above.
Those releases bring to 177 the total number of dolphins that have been stranded since Jan. 12, said Kerry Branon of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, which is helping with the rescue effort. More than 100 have died.
Strandings during this time of year are not unusual on the shores of Cape Cod. But the magnitude of this season’s strandings is unprecedented, wildlife officials say.
Misty Niemeyer, of IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue and Research team, says of this winter's spate of strandings, “our staff’s getting a little tired and little weary, and unfortunately it doesn’t look like it’s going to slow down at any point. We’ve had live animal strandings almost every day for the last week at least, and almost every day, or every other day, for the last month. So there really isn’t any sign of it slowing down yet.”
Branon, for her part, said that it’s the largest dolphin stranding in the Northeast, going by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration records, which date back about 20 years.
She said her organization could find no explanation for this year’s rise in mass strandings.
The race is on to save a record number of dolphins stranded on the shore. NBC's Anne Thompson reports.
“We’re not ruling anything out. What we typically find is the animals that strand here strand for natural reasons,” she told msnbc.com.
Branon noted that dolphins are social animals, “and they stick together for better or for worse.”
“So far no patterns have emerged, but the many lab analyses will take months to complete, we may yet find one,” Katie Moore, manager of IFAW’s marine mammal rescue and research team, said in a recent blog post.
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Shame! From what I've read, the magnetic poles are shifting at a pretty alarming rate, which no doubt throws off the animals depending on this info for migration. The Tampa airport recently encountered a similar problem due to the shifting poles. I suspect we'll see more and more strandings of marine animals who are encountering land directly in their migration routes.
From what I've read, Bugs Bunny is sleeping with Minnie Mouse, and Donald is pissed.
Keep wearing the tinfoil!
Fuka youuuu!!!! Dolpheeeen and Whale!!!!!!
1.1 Hilarious. Thanks..
I have a few comments abut the article.
UDunnoBro - Wake's not talking about geographic pole shift which against all the laws of physics.
Magnetic poles are shifting all the time as illustrated:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Earth_Magnetic_Field_Declination_from_1590_to_1990.gif
No idea if this the reason , i am not an expert.
So maybe you need to start wearing the tinfoil!
The pole shift is just a fact. And being from a cold climate I am looking forward to it. Palm trees are ready for transplant
or we could ask the Navy if they've been running their special high-frequency radar again...
Here's a quote that might interest you skeptics...
Maybe I need to send some tinfoil hats over to those goofballs at National Geographic. We all know what a bunch of crackpots they can be!
@Wake up
You cannot rationalize with irrational people! All you will get is tired, angry and thirsty from talking into a bottomless hole!!
I have read what you are talking about and I do believe that this could possibly be the culprit, or possibly something man made that is driving them to do it!!!
The world only exists for some people. It's their domain to with as they please and the H with everyone and everything else. I refuse to argue with those people.
Do they make GPS for dolphins ? Of course, GPS stands for Going Pass the Surf.
May as well put the dolphins to good use. Dig some fire pits and fire up those puppies. We could eat good tonight.
I've had dolphin steak before. Delicious! (And I don't mean the "dolphin" that's really a fish.)
Sure you have. You probably followed it up with a gorilla pudding in a snow leopard reduction. Why do people say things here just to upset other people?
Aww. You spoiled my fun and made me feel guilty. Sorry--Dark Side of the Force had me in a weak moment.
I just want to know the best place to get a good Dolphin steak and what wine should accompany it?
Speaking of puppies. My neighbor and I have agreed that if things really get desperate we would trade family pets in order to eliminate the need to eat our own pets. For the time being my freezer is fully stocked with the "Common Dolphin" from Cape Cod. They want to die, I want to eat. I had to share last years harvest because she was almost 8 feet long.
"reduce, reuse, recycle"
We could eat well tonight, not "good".
You are retarded, and your original post proves that. Do everyone a favor and stop posting and/or get an education before posting your stupidity/ignorance.
Good day sir.
Awesome! Then the rest of us who respect protected marine species can watch you and anyone else who would join you die in agony from mercury poisoning.
For those of you who are culinarily curious, dolphin tastes like pork. This information comes from the Patrick O'Brian Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin seagoing novels.
Ship sonar, ocean currents, less mature adults to teach adolescents, magnetic changes, migrating sooner due to warming trends. So many factors to consider, alarming nevertheless.
sparrow,
We also need to consider that strandings like these have been going on for a very long period of time. Pilgrims had recorded events like these hundreds of years ago.
in such numbers?
The numbers since the mid 1500's have shown a level to slight increase until a downward trend in numbers that showed up in the 1950's. That downward trend shifted to an upward trend in the late 1970's coincidentally when more stringent Tuna fishing laws were eneacted.
The paradox here is that nature regulates itself.
Humans intervene to save the dolphin by enacting "dolphin safe" fishing laws and by saving them from death when they beach themselves. The number of dolphins in recent years has increased, therefore they must make adjustments. The beaching numbers are increasing because WE have intervened.
Sparrow,
I can't verifying the numbers, I guess my point is that the phenomena still exist.
Devls
I'd like to see some statistical numbers/references, but I'm sure you don't have that. The 1500's? Are you for real?
WE have intervened because its morons like you that think nature regulates itself in light of all the impact WE have. WE are putting a greater detriment on marine ecosystem (among other factors/ecogsystems) and your tragedy of the commons (look it up dunce) outlook is the alarming thing.
...........and a third of the creatures within the sea will die.
Jesus needs to get his ass down to the beach and help out
Riiiiight,it's the end of the world,lol. Just food for thought here; Every single generation since Christ has thought they were the last. Every generation has found links between the book of Revelation and current events. Besides, a couple hundred dolphins are hardly a third of all ocean life. Sheesh.
Even if the bible were true (and those who have truly studied it know it to be fiction) there are still quite a few "signs" of the apocalypse that have not manifested, such as the rebuilding of the temple, and of course, the appearance of the "anti-christ" (although the Evangelical Pseudo-Christian right wing nut jobs say it's President Obama, lol)
I'd be more inclined to believe the Mayan calendar prophecy (which still isn't really about the end of the world) than the bible.
any plans for you to go swimming?
Its a jerk that would make fun of the death of these magnificent Animals. We should and must do all we can to help them. I sincerely thank the people who are doing so.
Might not be any pattern. Might just be a bad year for strandings. I'm curious why an animal that's very intelligent and has an acute sense of vision ends up stranded. You'd think they'd notice a problem before they end up in a bad situation. I guess maybe they accidentally get trapped in a shallow area and by the time they notice the issue, the tide is headed out and they're pretty much screwed.
I'm prone to believing that their perceptive and instinctual mechanisms rather easily overcome whatever 'thinking' and decision-making corrections they are capable of, and just drive them forward in a kind of mass panic, once one or two of them feel they are in a danger situation. I suspect that the phrase, "notice a problem" is a little too subtle to describe their process.
They should not be rescued, pitiful as they are. May be the dolphin population's natural way of purging weak/sick members.
Human intervention should be curtailed.
You both should be curtailed
It has to be sonar from ships causing this problem. When are they going to stop this ?
Never.
as we still do not understand exactly how dolphins and orcas communicate outside of "sound" theres a possibility that sonar and other frequencies could be part of the problem. We need to learn much more about them.
I gather there is concern that human activity may basically be injuring their ears, so they can't navigate as well. I suppose it's possible, but hard to confirm, so that we're left with sympathetic feelings for the stranded animals, and not much more.
Are there dolphins or seals in the bay on the other side of the cape? If a stray dolphin or seal is sending out a distress signal saying that her or she is hurt, the dolphins may be responding by stranding on the beach on the ocean side, thinking that the tide will carry them to their distressed partner. Instead of releasing them ocean side, try taking them and releasing them in the bay. I know that it may be hard to handle a 500 pound plus sea mammal, but the Cape is a rare, promontory that sticks out into the dolphins habitat and curves around , possibly messing up their natural sonar. If they swim the bay and find the coast is clear, they may head out of the bay and back into the Atlantic. They are smart animals and might learn to swim there first before stranding themselves on the ocean side of the cape.
seismic testing for oil and gas deposits and navy mid and low freq sonar could be the problem. were there any ships within a 100 or so miles of the stranding?? what about a poisoning, i know commerical fishermen hate dolphin.
Americans Without Healthcare!
With the hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of American citizens that require basic health care but cannot afford it, I cannot help but become disgusted when I see their countrymen ignore them and instead pay thousands of dollars to save a sea animal.
Shocking.
You all look mighty professional on camera exerting tireless effort to rescue the life of that animal that will probably just return to the ocean and die if it is his time, and I suppose viewers are supposed to in political correctness admire you?
However, you all lack the God-given humanity and compassion for the life of your fellow man. How ignoble.
I agree with you in part, but will say that the answer isn't an easy one. We all benefit from the myriad forms of life that are on our planet. If we stopped trying to save other living creatures, physically or through research, focusing only on ourselves, what a bleak world we'd find ourselves in. Ten to one you'd take your sick dog to a vet. Think of the billions of dollars saved if we eliminated pets from our lives, with their toys, food, and medical care. That would build a lot of orphanages.God given humanity and compassion can be directed towards any creature that feels, finds joy in being, and suffers.
mackie---americans do lack basic health care---canadians don't. i think the resolution to this problem might be divert the trillions wasted on illegal wars. for now i think i will continue to spend money on dog toys /food and medical care--my animals are my responsibility. the health of out nation should be a government dept. of HEW concern. we can afford health care for all---we choose not to. i would not care to live without my pets and every dime i spend on them is well spent.
Mackie, how do you know what those people feel in their hearts for their fellow human? You don't know them. You don't know us. Have you asked them how they feel? Have you asked us how we feel about this topic? You certainly have not done so.
You've made assumptions.
You're making judgments.
All you really know is how you feel about this issue, and those feelings are not valid outside of your own head.
You lack God-given humanity and compassion we're all supposed to have for the creatures on this planet, Mackie.
If humans are causing the problems with the dolphins, we're obligated to solve them. Our food comes out of the ocean, or didn't that occur to you? Whatever the dolphins' problems, we could be having them, too. Think of the medical bills then.
I weary of explaining these things to people like you who only have a single thought and believe that animals don't matter. When creatures at the top of the food web have trouble, that means we may have the same problems, too. We're all connected, you see. We eat the same food, Mackie.
Right now humans outnumber every other mammal on the planet. There are more humans than rats now. We even outnumber mice. That's right, we are more numerous than vermin, and more are being born every single day. When people like you write foolish snort-sighted things like this, I begin to think that we'll never make it.
Now I'm depressed. This planet's too stupid for my taste.
Mackie,
It is unfortunate you can't read. They are voluteers, and if someone wants to donate their money, and I quote "their money" it is none of your business, loser.
The best three months of my life was providing security for a Japanese Whaling ship. I couldn't wait to shoot at the A$$holes wearing ski masks and throwing chains at our rudder.
Yeah those guys should be treated like pirates! You should have unleashed yer .50 cal on 'em!
Mackie-
These are volunteers...fight your fight and they will fight theirs. Compassion is compassion no matter who it's directed at, and the world could definitely use a lot more of it. Furthermore, I fail to see how American's with out healthcare relate to volunteers helping stranded dolphins.
Devls-such a tough guy up on the big ILLEGAL Japanese whaling ship, 'shooting' water huh? So impressive....
But why is this happening. No one knows for sure. But i have been telling you time and again to look at the animals & plants because climate change is killing them off. Google 'climate change animal' and read the 120M hits. The co2 in car exhaust is making the oceans acid.
Nobody else thinks that this mass stranding is forewarning of a major earthquake about to happen?
Look at the big picture. Sure animals & plants are dying off because of climate change. But the number of people is increasing at 350% every 80 years. And if deniers rubio or santorum w/ 7 kids became president there would be 110B to 300B people instead of 7B today, 2B-1930.
The big picture is you're an idiot, there is no global warming tool!
the white demon devil is a sick animal predator beast.shoot the white child pedophiles.
I'm unsure why it is our responsibility to save these dolphins.
If this is a natural occurance, why are we involving ourselves? Moreover, absent any more compelling "cause" of these strandings, I'd like to posit that perhaps these dolphins (who are likely self aware) have just had enough of it. Maybe they're the Jonestown dolphins. Maybe they're sick of hunting for fish, swimming around and group sex. Who are we to deny them their wish to exit on their own terms?
Even if this is our fault, what distinguishes these dolphins from the myriad other animals we kill or cause to be killed every day. Termites for example. Literally millions killed a day at our hands. Sure we claim that they're "harmful"...but they're only "harmful" because we humans, for lack of rock, choose to build our homes out of wood. Where's the overtime team preventing those deaths? Wwhere's the overtime team preventing the deaths of thousands of dogs, cats, deer, etc. that are killed on our roads every day (very similar to these strandings)? Etc.
I'm just not convinced it's our business. If we aren't causing it, then why are we involving ourselves? If we are causing it, what distinguishes this from the myriad other animal deaths daily that we cause?
If you want to get into the sentience angle, please answer this question first. What's worse: (i) allowing a dolphin that's stranded itself to remain stranded or (ii) caging chimps for their entire 40 year natural life, testing chemicals on them daily and infecting them with viruses just to see what happens?
Because it's a kind and respectful thing to do? Because just standing there scratching your head and watching something die would sort of suck?
Yes, but the point is "we scratch our heads and watch all manner of animals die every day" (both those we affirmatively kill (e.g., termites, chimps and roadkill) and those whose passage we unthinkingly accept (e.g., cheetahs eating antelope)).
So, why are these dolphins different?
I am not in favor of primate research and if I see something along the side of the road that is still alive, I will try very hard to pull over and at least put it out of it's misery. The dolphins are not different - if you can help them, you should. If you can help and you don't feel compelled to do so, well then, you sort of suck.
OEU; we eat many of the same foods the dolphins eat. If they're dying because of something they're eating, or something else in their environment, don't you think it would be beneficial to learn about it?
Dolphins are a protected marine species. We assist them. Just as, if you were in trouble, you would also receive assistance.
Your termite analogy is fallacious: they aren't endangered.
Peridot. Noting that only certain species of dolphin are endangered...but not splitting hairs...
The concept of "endangered" itself is open to a similar objection. Namely, does your construct necessarily require the conclusion that we don't value animal life in and of itself, but solely to the extent it is "rare" or "unique" (i.e., we only take steps to protect animal life to the extent we've already killed anough of them that they're "endangered").
Using this logic, if there are 1,000,000,000 dolphins, we can shoot them on sight. If there are 10 dolphins, we should expend millions of dollars to save each one. Does this make any sense? Does an animal's life not have an intrinsic value that exists without reference to the prevalence (or lack thereof) of its species?
I mean, shouldn't we either value the life of the animal or not? Unless the animal is a saleable commodity, it's "rareness" or lack thereof shouldn't determine its intrinsic value because it is not subject to market supply/demand pressures.
which brings me back to my original point...why are we expending millions saving these dolphins while we simultanesouly wantonly kill and torture innumerable other species? Is this some collective human defense mechanism in response to the fact that we're the most destructive force on Earth?
...............
All this said, it occurs to me that we do not apply the same "endangered" logic to valuations of human life. We assume human life has an intrinsic value that exists without reference to the human population. For example, our paradigm treats human life as equally valuable whether there ae 70 people or 7,000,000,000 people...the Ten Commandments still apply even though they were written at a time when only .015% as many people were living.
Does this strike you as logically inconsistent? Perhaps this is why we're breeding ourselves into extinction.
The first recorded incidents of dolphin and whale strandings date back to when man used sails to move ships. So I doubt oil and pollution is a cause. Besides there are lots of natural oil seeps all over the world. Those strandings also happened long before man used any electricity or electronic devices. So you can stop worrying about sonar as a cause.
http://whale.wheelock.edu/archives/ask02/0179.html
And since strandings have been recorded for at least 200 years I don't think any recent change in the climate is a cause either.
I blame the sonar from large ships and nuclear subs. The military probably runs drills in that area every year.
I blame cow farts and garden gnomes; Fact: both kill dolphins.
Maybe the dolphins beaching themselves is their form of population control and once again man is interfering with nature
Maybe dolphins and whales understand their position in the food chain and after a fulfilling life they sacrifice their bodies to support man like how they were intended...
LOL The only thing stupider than a dolphin that can't stay in the water is a human that would waste their time trying to save the stupid thing. These peta friendly a-holes should all drown themselves.
Dev thinking he's the arbiter of behaviour for marine mammals. Oh, the irony.
dev is just another sad loser who needs attention for his emotional health. because he lacks attributes that would attract positive attention, he seeks out negative because its better than nothing. i can promise you he is an unattractive person who was picked on as a youth.
Ok. Say santorum w/ 7 kids was president and telling china that they can have only 1 child per family but all the bmw's they want. They would tell him wtf. 7 kids is a 350% increase every 20 years. 1930-2B. 2010-7B. 2030-25B. 2050-86B. 2070-300B people. It's tooooo many.