First patient at a rehab facility for dolphins on Cape Cod

By Hollie Raposo 

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

A first of its kind dolphin rehab facility on Cape Cod released its first patient back into the wild. The International Fund for Animal Welfare said the injured dolphin was released back into the water within 24 hours. 

The rescue center located in Orleans was created to conquer the “mass strandings” of dolphins in Cape Cod. The rehab facility only opened in the last year to take in dolphins and porpoises. IFAW says that 30% of the cases with stranded dolphins would benefit from the rehab facility. 

The first dolphin rescued was sent to the center to get treatment. The responders continued to  monitor the dolphin and reassess its health with a series of blood tests and ultrasounds throughout the 24 hours.

The dolphin suffered from shock, trauma, and seawater aspiration from stranding but recovered within 24 hours of observation. The dolphin was released with a temporary satellite bag to keep track of its movements and progress.