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Massive Rescue Effort for Stranded Dolphins
Rescuers struggled for days to save a pod, or group, of dolphins that were stranded in shallow waters off Long Island, New York. At first, when over 40 dolphins were spotted, people were stunned and delighted. However, it soon became clear that 20 of the dolphins were stuck in a shallow creek and in danger. When six dolphins died, everyone realized it was urgent that the remaining dolphins find their way back to deeper ocean waters.
Normally the common dolphin swims in deep waters at least 50 miles off shore. Rescue officials aren't sure what made the dolphins come into the shallows. They suggested that the stranded dolphins may have swam too close to shore because they were hunting herring, a small fish that has appeared in large numbers in the Long Island area.
About 80 people took part in the effort to save the dolphins. One rescue strategy they used was annoying the dolphins with loud noise. Dolphins are very sensitive to sound. So rescuers banged hammers on metal pipes and revved their boat engines. They hoped the racket would make the dolphins want to leave. But they were also concerned about causing the dolphins even more stress. This could confuse the dolphins and actually hurt the rescue attempt.
Efforts to help stranded dolphins rarely work entirely. So even though some of the dolphins died, the rescue effort was a success. Eight of them made it to safety! We need to learn more about their behavior to understand why we can do to help them in the future.
I'm Ben and that's what happened in our nation this week.
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