Heartbreaking images as more than a dozen dolphins die in mass stranding around Cape Cod

More than a dozen dolphins have died in a mass stranding event at Cape Cod, with heartbreaking images showing the mammals struggling in shallow water and beached side by side on sand banks.

Around 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins became stranded in the area off the coast of Massachusetts, which rescue workers called a 'big dolphin trap'.

Rescuers desperately tried to coax them out of the shallows for hours, with their painstaking work allowing more than 100 of the stranded dolphins to get into deeper water.

An estimated 13 dolphins died and one had to be euthanized, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), but aerial footage appears to show many more beached on a sand bank. 

The nonprofit said it was the largest mass-stranding it had dealt with on the Cape during its 26-year history in the area.

Volunteers worked for hours to rescue the dolphins, but sadly many perished in the stranding

Dolphins are covered with sheets by rescuers after becoming stranded in shallow waters

Rescuers desperately douse the animals in water as they try to keep them alive after the stranding

Around 125 Atlantic white-sided dolphins became stranded in the area, which rescue workers called a 'big dolphin trap'

Haunting footage shows scores of dolphins covered in sheets lying and flailing helplessly on a sandbank, with rescuers dousing them with water and checking to see if they're still alive.

There's no set reason for why these dolphins became stranded, rescuers said. Cape Cod is known as a global stranding hotspot due to the curvature of its shores and the fluctuation of tides.

Teams in Massachusetts found one group of 10 Atlantic white-sided dolphins swimming in a dangerously shallow area at dawn on Saturday and managed to herd them out into deeper water.

Scouts also found a second group of 25 dolphins swimming close to the shore near Eastham, the organization said. Teams worked to herd them away as the tide dropped throughout the morning.

Ten dolphins died during the stranding Friday at The Gut - or Great Island - in Wellfleet, at the Herring River. 

The Gut is the site of frequent strandings, which experts believe is due in part to its hook-like shape and extreme tidal fluctuations.

Misty Niemeyer, the organization´s stranding coordinator, said over the weekend that rescuers faced many challenges Friday, including difficult mud conditions and the dolphins being spread out over a large area.

A trained volunteer attempts to herd stranded dolphins into deeper waters Friday, June 28, 2024, in Wellfleet, Mass

Rescue teams carried out a major operation over 12 hours in the blazing sun to help the mammals

Stranded dolphins are seen in shallow waters at Cape Cod on June 28, 2024

'It was a 12-hour exhausting response in the unrelenting sun, but the team was able to overcome the various challenges and give the dolphins their best chance at survival,' Niemeyer said in a statement.

The team started out on foot, herding the creatures into deeper waters and then used three small boats equipped with underwater pingers, which make noise underwater, according to the organization.

Those helping with the rescue effort included more than 25 staff from the organization and 100 trained volunteers. 

The group also had the support of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the Center for Coastal Studies, AmeriCorps of Cape Cod and the New England Aquarium.

Rescuers are concerned that the rescued pod is still in the area and could return to the site, and are monitoring the situation.