Bid to rescue NY dolphins fails

Rescuers used small boats to try to herd the dolphins out

Rescuers have failed in their latest attempt to rescue a group of dolphins stranded in a shallow cove off New York's Long Island coast.

A pod of about 20 common dolphins swam into the cove north of East Hampton at high tide about a week ago.

Nine were guided to safety on Tuesday but a seventh dolphin died on Thursday.

Rescuers, who include marine biologists and volunteers, say the largest threat to the mammals is a lack of food available in the shallow waters.

High frequency sound generators and a flotilla of small boats were used during the rescue effort which is set to resume on Friday.

Confused

The BBC's Jeremy Cooke in New York says Thursday's effort may have represented a last chance.

Dolphins are extremely social and can panic just the way people panic Tony LaCasse, New England Aquarium

The trapped dolphins have not eaten properly for days and they are growing increasingly weak, he says.

The cove has a narrow inlet and the dolphins are confused by the shallow water.

The mammals may have chased herring or other food sources when they came into the cove, experts say.

Choppy waters and low temperatures made earlier rescue efforts difficult.

Strandings of dolphins are not uncommon but usually happen further north, including at Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

Tony LaCasse, of the New England Aquarium, said: "We have a mass stranding or two every winter; last year there were over eight.

"Dolphins are extremely social and can panic just the way people panic."

Common, or white-sided, dolphins normally stay 30-80 miles (50-130km) offshore.

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