One dolphin still stranded on Cape Cod

WELLFLEET, Mass. (WPRI) - Rescuers are trying to save the last of 16 white-sided dolphins that became stranded on Cape Cod Thursday.

Eight were rescued, including two on Friday.  Three dolphins were swept back out to sea by the high tide. Four of the dolphins died.

Two groups of dolphins got stranded on Thursday; ten at Drummer Cove in Wellfleet, and six others were found just south of there,  at Lieutenant Island.

Rescue efforts were hampered by hip-deep mud.

Experts are not sure what caused the dolphins to become stranded, but they say mass strandings are not uncommon.

"It's a question mark but what they think is that the tides in the winter are so high and the storms are so fierce that they come into a place like this and it gets shallow, very shallow very quickly," explains rescuer Mike Gilbin.

"And they get confused possibly and being social animals they come in with the pod. So if one strands the likelihood is that three or four will follow them."

The dolphins that were rescued were taken to a specially-equipped trailer where they were stabilized, before being released back into the ocean.

The survivors were also tagged so researchers and follow their movements.