A selfie has killed a baby dolphin yet again, this time at a seaside resort in southern Spain.
In a recent post on its Facebook page, Equinac, a local NGO marine conservation group in the southern Spain region, reported that a baby dolphin was killed after being passed around for photos with tourists.
The Facebook post, written in Spanish, states that, “Humans are the most irrational animal there is. Many people are unable to feel empathy for a living being which is frightened, starving hungry, without its mother and terrified.”
The infant sea mammal, reportedly female and still of breastfeeding age, became stranded in the waters off the coast of southern Spain in Almeria after losing its mother, according to the Daily Mail. Rather than seeking help for the dolphin, hundreds of holidaymakers swarmed the animal in a frenzied attempt to touch and photograph it.
Equinac slammed all involved in the baby dolphin’s death.
“In their selfishness, all they want is to photograph it and touch it, even if the animal is suffering from stress," the conservation group stated. "Cetaceans are very susceptible to stress, and crowding round it to take photos and to touch it causes them a big shock which greatly accelerates a cardiorespiratory failure, which is what happened."
Equinac stated that the lifeguard on duty was overwhelmed by the hysterical crowd and unable to reach the dolphin to assist. Although Equinac officials arrived on the beach only 15 minutes later, the animal was already dead. The group went on to say that the bathers’ first point of call should have been to emergency services, adding that, “Maybe we would not have been able to save it, but we would have tried.”
Unfortunately, this is not the first incident of its kind. Earlier this year, National Geographic reported that a baby dolphin was killed by tourists who dragged the infant sea creature from the ocean in San Bernardo, Argentina.
In 2016, an infant Franciscana dolphin died from dehydration after being passed around for photos and petting by beachgoers in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Environmental and marine conservation groups urge members of the public to immediately report any animals in distress to authorities. If you come across a stranded dolphin, The Dolphin Research Institute advises that, after calling local emergency services, one should:
“Check for dangers to yourself and the animal. Don't try to return the animal to the sea - WAIT until the authorities arrive. In the meantime, keep the following in mind: Rinse sand from the eyes and around the blowhole with water, but do not pour water into the blowhole!"