Volunteers Protect Dozens Of Dolphins Off Cape Cod
WELLFLEET (CBS) - An evening of oystering changed to a dolphin rescue mission. Maria Krikorian and Karl Barrio were in Wellfleet Harbor when they spotted about 20 dolphins.
"When we went out at 4:00 p.m., they were still in there and they were heading into the cove where they were yesterday," said Maria Krikorian. She took video and pictures of the pod.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare, IFAW, that rescues stranded animals, stood ready on the pier. They were concerned the dolphins that are not used to tides would beach.
"I was like I can't go through this pain again. I saw one of them crying yesterday it was tough," said Krikorian.
The day before, she watched over two of the 16 dolphins that stranded nearby. IFAW rescued all of them and released them into the ocean. The pod frolicking in the harbor on Friday was new.
"Different group so obviously there is a much larger group in Cape Cod Bay and we are seeing smaller break offs," said Katie Moore of IFAW.
Krikorian and Barrio were not going to give the pod the chance to beach. As a lifelong commercial fisherman, Barrio is a man of the sea. He made sure to keep his distance.
"I just kept on going back and forth or putting my engine in neutral to scare them and go in the other direction," said Barrio.
The pod swam out to deeper water. Krikorian vowed to make the past two days just the beginning of her involvement with saving dolphins.
"It was great to be part of something so amazing and have it be so successful," said Krikorian.
IFAW said a dolphin rescued from Thursday's stranding beached itself again Friday morning. Rescuers saved it and released it back into the ocean.
