Date Published: 03/10/2024
Swimmers horrified as dead dolphin washes up on AndalucÃa beach
Early morning beachgoers made the grim discovery on Torrenueva Costa beach, Granada
A couple of early morning swimmers got a nasty surprise when a small dead dolphin, measuring two metres in length and weighing approximately 70 kilos, washed up on Torrenueva Costa beach in Granada on Wednesday October 2.
One beachgoer called the emergency services at around 5.30am and Local Police officers and Guardia Civil agents headed to the shoreline, which is close to Calle Juan de Garay. After they confirmed that the dolphin was indeed deceased, they contacted workers from the Centre for the Recovery of Endangered Species (CREA).
The body of the animal had been removed by lunch time and it’s now with experts at the Andalucían Marine Environment Management Centre (CEGMA), who will carry out a post-mortem to determine the cause of death.
Back in 2022, several holidaymakers and locals were horrified when a baby dolphin appeared dead on beach in La Mamola. On that occasion, the species was later confirmed to be a striped dolphin.
And in November last year, two more dead dolphins appeared on Hierbabuena Beach in Cadiz. This was a more unusual occurrence though, as it was the first time Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) had ever been spotted on the continent of Europe.
Granada isn’t typically known for having a large population of dolphins and while they do appear in the waters from time to time, these playful mammals are far more common in other parts of Andalucía, such as the Costa del Sol.
Several species call this area home, including the Common Dolphin, the Striped Dolphin and the Bottle-nosed Dolphin.
Image: CEGMA
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