Photos of two beachgoers manhandling a dolphin that is believed to have later died are circulating online.

The images, which include a man and woman lifting and even riding a dolphin on a beach, have been met with widespread condemnation.

While nobody has yet been able to confirm the identity of the two people they are believed to be from Lima, Peru. The images have been shared hundreds of thousands of times in a bid to definitively identify the pair.

A couple, believed to be from Peru, posing with a beached dolphin have met with widespread anger on the internet (credit: Facebook) (Facebook)

The four images are captioned “Guy and Girl find dolphin on shore, they decide to take silly pictures with it instead of letting it back into ocean. Dolphin dies shortly after.”

The photos managed to cause further outrage since couple chose to pose for photos rather than help the dolphin.

Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Show all 15 1 /15 Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan A bottlenose dolphin was seen floating on back before slaughter Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Fishermen hiding their culture and tradition Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Remaining pod swims just a few feet from the slaughter of their family Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Dolphin drive out to sea Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Lathered in blood, fishermen receive more transfers of dolphin carcasses Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Fishermen enter the cove just after sunrise Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan A juvenile Bottlenose barely surfaces during drive out. The chances of survival are slim after 5 tormenting days in the cove Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Cove Guardians Jac and Ian document the slaughter Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan SSCS Cove Guardian Leader Melissa Sehgal interviews for CNN Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Fishermen in wetsuits hunt dolphins at a cove in Taiji, western Japan; U.S. ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy has expressed deep concern over the traditional dolphin hunt. Local fisherman corral dolphins in a secluded bay before killing many for meat Adrian Mylne/Reuters Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The selection process of dolphins, during the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji. With 250 dolphins, this was the largest round-up in years Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The agitated dolphins in the cove during the selection process. According to Sea Shepherd, Japanese fisherman rounded up more than 250 dolphins, including babies and juveniles Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan Japanese fisherman are shown in the cove. Taiji town claims the hunt is an important ritual dating back centuries Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan A rare albino calf swims close to his/her mother as the pod was herded into the cove. Dolphins captured in the cove are either sold into captivity, or slaughtered and sold for consumption, despite pleas from animal conservationists around the world against the event Sea Shepherd/EPA Annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan The process of selecting dolphins during the annual cull, which the mayor of the town defends 'on scientific grounds'

According to Reddit users, where the story originated, the dolphin was already in distress when it was picked out of the water. The story originally surfaced a year ago.

Peta Associate Director Elisa Allen, told The Independent: “These callous and frankly idiotic individuals need to be found and prosecuted for cruelty to animals.

“Dolphins are highly intelligent, sensitive, and self-aware animals, and it is never acceptable to treat them as mere play things.