Surfers Initiate Rescue Mission as Dozens of Dolphins Wash Ashore in Japan

On April 3, as many as 32 dolphins were reported stranded on a beach on Japan's Boso Peninsula.

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Surfers and local authorities worked together for an emergency rescue operation to save the dolphins.

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Many dolphins had already died before being carried back into the sea.

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The stranded dolphins are said to be melon-headed whales with approximately 2 meters length.

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On April 4, additional eight melon-headed whale dolphins were discovered stranded along the coastlines of Isumi and Ichinomiya in Chiba Prefecture.

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Local authorities confirmed that several of the newly found dolphins were dead.

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Experts from Japan’s National Museum of Nature and Science will study the dead dolphins.

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Melon-headed whales live in warmer parts of the ocean but move north in the spring for sardines and other fish.

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It is believed that the dolphins entered cold water and their bodies were temporarily paralyzed before being swept onto the beach by strong winds.

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