Rescuers work to save nearly 50 bottlenose dolphins in historic Cape Cod stranding

Crews worked for a second straight day to rescue nearly 50 bottlenose dolphins stranded in the largest known stranding of the marine mammal in Massachusetts history, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

The organization said reports began circulating around 5:30 a.m. Monday that 28 to 30 bottlenose dolphins were stranded at First Encounter Beach in Eastham, Massachusetts.

"The dolphins refloated with the incoming tide, while an additional five to six animals died before our team arrived," the group said in a statement Monday.

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On Tuesday, IFAW reported that four bottlenose dolphins were initially found stranded. That number quickly multiplied to 19 across three locations along a nine-mile stretch of coastline.

"These animals are in decent condition. Two have been fitted with satellite tags so we can now monitor their movements and even see if the separated groups come back together," said Brian Sharp, program director for Marine Mammal Rescue at IFAW.

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"We are in a rising tide now, and all 19 animals have refloated," Sharp added. "We'll continue to monitor and coax them out of Wellfleet Bay to give them the best chance at survival. The next low tide will be around 6 p.m. this evening."

Bottlenose dolphins are typically an offshore species, the group said, though IFAW has observed an increasing trend of these animals occurring closer to Cape Cod’s shores in recent years.

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