Three dolphins strand in shallow Cape waters. Here's what happened next.

Two male common dolphins were released at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown on Friday morning, after becoming stranded near Skaket Beach in Orleans .

According to a release from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), three dolphins were initially found near Skaket Beach, "grounded, in a small pool of water, with the tide incoming." One of the animals was able to swim away and was not subsequently seen.

A health assessment was performed on the remaining two dolphins. They were then taken to Herring Cove Beach, an area that IFAW uses for dolphin releases because of the deeper water just offshore.

After release, the two dolphins "swam off well," according to IFAW.

IFAW responds to an average of 315 stranding cases per year on Cape Cod. On June 28, dozens of stranded Atlantic white-sided dolphins were stretched along the flats at low tide in Wellfleet, in what amounted to the largest mass stranding of dolphins in US history ," according to IFAW. In total 125 stranded and of those 10 died before rescuers arrived, according to IFAW.

Eric Williams writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com . Follow him on X: @capecast.

The Cape Cod Times is providing this coverage for free as a public service. Please take a moment to support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Three dolphins strand in shallow Cape waters. Here's what happened next.