This year has seen an alarming surge in dolphin strandings along Cape Cod, a situation that researchers attribute potentially to rising water temperatures affecting food availability for these marine mammals. Cape Cod, a popular destination for beachgoers and seafood enthusiasts in Massachusetts, has a longstanding history of marine mammal strandings, largely fueled by significant tidal shifts that can ensnare dolphins that wander too near the coast.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) announced on Thursday that they have dealt with 342 live dolphins stranded this year, a figure significantly higher than their typical annual average of 67. Adding to an already troubling situation, the organization experienced an influx of reports regarding stranded dolphins earlier this month, with over 50 animals reported on various beaches and waterways within just one week.

The unprecedented number of strandings has put immense pressure on IFAW’s resources and capabilities, according to Brian Sharp, the marine mammal rescue team leader and a trained biologist. The reasons behind these strandings are still under investigation, but researchers have noticed that the smaller fish, which form a major part of the dolphins’ diet, are swimming unusually close to shore. Sharp indicated that the dolphins might be following these food sources, inadvertently putting themselves in jeopardy.

He noted, “Any impact from climate change on ocean temperature and salinity will ultimately influence the availability of fish prey.” This alteration in the ecosystem may cause a trickle-down effect throughout the food web, ultimately impacting marine mammals.

Located adjacent to key feeding areas for dolphins, Cape Cod is also a favorite among summer whale watchers due to its diverse marine life. The stranded dolphins primarily include common dolphins, Atlantic white-sided dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins, as specified by Sharp. Out of the total 342 stranded dolphins, 293 have successfully been returned to their natural habitats, while over 90 were discovered deceased upon being stranded.

Notably, this year’s strandings also featured a mass event during the summer involving over 100 dolphins, marking it as the largest known stranding event recorded in the U.S. Historically, Cape Cod has posed navigational challenges for dolphins, with its sandy shoals, distinctive shape, and muddied flats complicating their travel.

Although the reasons behind these unusually high strandings are multifaceted, experts like Regina Asmutis-Silvia, executive director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation North America, emphasize the role of climate change in driving both prey and predators to unfamiliar territories at unexpected times of the year. “We have witnessed remarkably warm temperatures on land around Cape Cod recently, emphasizing the fact that we are confronting climate change. However, these shifts extend beyond the shore and are affecting the ocean environment as well,” she explained.

This month’s rescue efforts faced additional challenges due to harsh winds, choppy seas, and cold temperatures. The IFAW indicated that the dolphins that stranded recently might have belonged to the same pod, but the exact cause for this stranding remains uncertain. The organization stated, “While Cape Cod has historically recorded more live dolphin strandings than any other location worldwide, the figures this year mark an unprecedented high.”