Disturbing video shows dolphin dying after tourists use it for selfies

  • 27/01/2017
dying dolphin

A disturbing video has come to light showing tourists in San Bernardo, Argentina, killing a "vulnerable" baby dolphin in order to get selfies with it.

The tourists dragged the tiny mammal out of the water on Sunday, Argentine newspaper La Capital reported.

A witness told Argentinian news station CN5 the tourists "let him die".

"He was young and came to the shore. They could have returned him to the water - in fact, he was breathing. But everyone started taking photos and touching him. They said he was already dead," she said.

It was one of the "vulnerable" La Plata - Franciscana - species of dolphins, of which there are only about 30,000 left in the world.

In 2016, the Argentine Wildlife Foundation released a public warning about treatment of dolphins.

"The Franciscana, like other species, cannot remain for much time outside of the water, it has thick fatty skin which gives it heat and means that taking it out of the water rapidly causes it to dehydrate and die," it said in a statement.

"This occasion serves to inform the public about the urgent necessity to return these dolphins to the sea as soon as possible if they find them on the shore.

"It is fundamental that people help to rescue these animals, because every Franciscana counts now."

Newshub.