At least 11 more dolphins stranded on Cape; unexplained phenomenon total rises to 177

By Colin A. Young, Globe Staff

At least 11 more dolphins have stranded themselves on the shores of Cape Cod this morning as the mass strandings enter the second month. The International Fund for Animal Welfare said at least one of the 11 had died.

“The team is out there now with 10 live dolphins,” the group’s spokesman Michael Booth said. “It could take quite awhile; it’s a treacherous location with lots of mud. The team is trying to pull them out of the mud and bring them to our rescue trailers.”

On Monday morning, crews rescued and treated three dolphins near the Chequesset Yacht and Country Club in Wellfleet. All three dolphins were given medical evaluations and released at Scusset Beach in Bourne.

A total of 177 dolphins have been stranded. Aside from the 10 who are still the subject of rescue efforts today, 43 have been rescued and 124 have died. The group said the cause of the strandings is still unknown.

“So far no patterns have emerged, but the many lab analyses will take months to complete,” Katie Moore, the group’s manager of marine mammal rescue and research, said in a blog post. “We may yet find one.”

Since the mass stranding event began Jan. 12, the group, which relies on a small army of volunteers, said they have received an uptick in interest. The group, however, cannot increase its ranks until all potential volunteers are properly trained.

“As soon as we get over this busy season, we’ll have some training for folks,” Booth said. “For now, we have to depend on our existing volunteers.”