NY dolphins rescue attempt

Attempts by marine conservationists to corral a batch of dolphins trapped in an inlet near New York's Long Island will resume today (January 18th).

Around 20 of the mammals swam into the narrow bay and nine were herded to the outlet on Tuesday.

Rescuers will try to use high frequency machines and a number of boats to encourage the dolphins to move on.

Six have died already due to a lack of food and the remaining mammals appear to be getting weaker as well as being disorientated in the shallow waters.

Tony LaCasse, from the New England Aquarium, told the BBC: "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."

High winds and rough waters have made the rescue operation difficult. However, after the successful attempt on Tuesday, many hope that they can get the other dolphin out safely.

The common dolphin travels in a group of between 10 and 50 of the mammals, with packs found on both coasts of the US.