More than 30 bottlenose dolphins stranded on Brewster beach, animal group says

Nearly 30 bottlenose dolphins were stranded on Brewster beaches early Monday morning, officials said.Leslie Bracebridge

More than 30 bottlenose dolphins became stranded on beaches in Brewster on Monday, resulting in half a dozen deaths, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Around 5:30 a.m., the Yarmouth-based animal welfare and rescue organization responded to reports that a large group of dolphins were stranded between First Light Beach and Ellis Landing, spokesperson Stacey Hedman said.

Many of the 34 dolphins were able to safely return to Cape Cod Bay as the tide came in but five or six died before rescue teams arrived, Hedman said.

According to local tide charts, high tides peaked just before 11 a.m.

It was the largest known stranding of bottlenose dolphins off Massachusetts, Hedman said. The previous largest was in September 2024, when 11 bottlenose species, as well as a few other dolphin types, washed up in Brewster, leading to three deaths.

Hedman said IFAW officials plan to remain at the scene to guide the animals away from shore before the next low tide at 5:13 p.m.

The beach is open for public use as of 2 p.m., local officials said.

The Outer Cape area of Wellfleet and Eastham has become a “globally recognized hotspot,” for strandings due to its shallow flats and fluctuating tides, Hedman said. Last week, seven common dolphins were rescued after being stranded in Wellfleet, according to WCVB-TV.

Despite being an offshore species, bottlenose dolphins have been coming closer to Cape Cod shores in recent years, Hedman said. The group has previously cited the effect of global warming on dolphin’s prey as a possible cause of the mammals drawing closer to shore. In the summer of 2024, strandings more than doubled, requiring the rescue of 175 dolphins on Cape Cod, officials said.

The IFAW encourages anyone who encounters a stranded marine mammal to keep a safe distance and contact trained experts through the Stranding Hotline.

“Similar to a person involved in a car accident, dolphins can become injured and exhausted during a stranding event and should never be pushed or dragged back into the water,” Hedman said.