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Post Reply: Two dolphins rescued from Wareham marsh

<blockquote><div class="quotetitle">Quote from <a class="profile-link highlight-admin" href="#">Michael McStay</a> on December 10, 2025, 9:09 am</div>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">what’s known so far about the recent rescue of two dolphins in Wareham, MA:</h2>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">✅ What happened</h2>

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<li>On <strong>December 8, 2025</strong>, two dolphins were found stranded in a marsh at Beaver Creek — off the Weweantic River — in Wareham, Massachusetts.</li>

<li>The animals were alive and active, but apparently unable to return to the ocean because the tide was low.</li>

<li>The rescue was carried out by Wareham Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), with assistance from International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team.</li>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">🐬 About the dolphins</h2>

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<li>The rescued animals are described as “common dolphins,” likely the species Short‑beaked common dolphin, which is known to frequent Massachusetts coastal waters.</li>

<li>Officials estimated their weights at about <strong>90 pounds</strong> and <strong>150 pounds</strong> — a bit lighter than the species’ average (which is around 170 pounds).</li>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">🚑 Rescue &amp; next steps</h2>

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<li>Rescuers used soft mats and a transport vehicle to remove the dolphins from the marsh without further stressing them.</li>

<li>After a preliminary exam on-site, the dolphins were transported for a <strong>full health evaluation</strong> to decide whether they can be released back into open water.</li>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">🌊 Broader context</h2>

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<li>The rescue comes amid a broader uptick in dolphin strandings in the region this season: additional dolphins have recently been found stranded at various locations across Cape Cod.</li>

<li>According to IFAW statements, stranding events can happen when tidal shifts or currents—potentially influenced by nearby waterways such as the Cape Cod Canal — push marine mammals into shallow marshes or creeks where it becomes difficult for them to return.</li>
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<p>Here’s the <strong>latest</strong> on the rescued dolphins in Wareham:</p>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">🐬 What we know now</h2>

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<li>The two dolphins were found <strong>stranded in a marsh</strong> at Beaver Creek (off the Weweantic River) in Wareham, Massachusetts on <strong>Monday, December 8, 2025 around 10:45 a.m.</strong>, according to the Wareham Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).</li>

<li>Both dolphins were alive and active when found — but were unable to return to the ocean due to the <strong>receding tide</strong>.</li>

<li>The rescue was carried out in collaboration with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team.</li>
</ul>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">✅ What happened during rescue</h2>

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<li>The dolphins — one estimated at <strong>90 pounds</strong>, the other at around <strong>150 pounds</strong> — were loaded onto soft mats for transport, then carefully placed in a marine-animal transport vehicle.</li>

<li>After a preliminary exam on site, they were taken for a <strong>full health evaluation</strong> to determine whether they could be released back into the wild.</li>
</ul>

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">🔎 Why this may have happened</h2>

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<li>According to responders, such strandings often occur when tide and currents—sometimes influenced by water flow from nearby waterways such as the Cape Cod Canal — push dolphins into shallow marshes or creeks, especially when tidal flats and low-tide conditions prevent them from finding a way out.</li>

<li>While strandings are more common around Cape Cod and its outer coast, this is a rare occurrence in Wareham, making this rescue unusual and newsworthy.</li>
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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">📅 Status — and what’s next</h2>

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<li>As of the most recent updates, the dolphins are under evaluation; it’s not yet public whether they have been released or remain under care.</li>

<li>Officials and rescue staff say that if the dolphins are deemed healthy, the plan would likely be to release them back into deeper waters.</li>
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<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://mkmcst.net/Plimoth/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/images-15.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-2118"/></figure>
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