Cuba has started evacuating its dolphins in helicopters as Hurricane Irma continues its trail of devastation.

The six sea creatures were residents at a dolphinarium in Cayo Guillermo, a small island north of Cuba under threat from Irma's powerful 185mph winds.

After being wrapped in wet towels, the dolphins were then transported to helicopters before being moved to safety in the province of Cienfuegos.

They have been placed in swimming pools which mirror their natural marine environment.

If Irma prevents them remaining in their current pools, the creatures will then be moved to a salt water pool at a nearby hotel.

(Image: Mediodia)

(Image: Mediodia)

Manager of the dolphinarum, Gonzalo Carrero Escobar, said: "For the moment they have been placed in a swimming pool offering similar conditions to their natural life.

"If the weather situation does not allow us to keep them there, they will be displaces to the salt water swimming pool of a hotel."

Footage of their move to the pools, shows specialised trainers and vets soothing the dolphins as they're wrapped in towels.

Trainers can be seen rubbing their bodies and heads in an attempt to calm the animals before their move.

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

(Image: Mediodia)

Hurricane Irma was officially named the largest ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean and Cayo Guillermo is expected to be hit hard.

Cuba's Civil Defence placed the provinces of Villa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Cienfuegos and Matanzas on alert and increased its warning for other more western regions like Mayabeque, Havana and Artemisa.

Florida is also bracing itself for the arrival of Irma, as it threatens destruction across the so-called Sunshine State.

The usually thriving city of Miami has become a 'ghost town', as tourists and residents have fled in anticipation of the destructive storm.

Shops in the metropolis are either boarded up or have little left on their shelves, streets are deserted and sandy, white beaches lie empty.

(Image: @AstroKomrade/Twitter)

(Image: REX/Shutterstock)

(Image: AFP)

Florida Governor Rick Scott issued a stark warning to residents to get out if they were in evacuation zones, saying: "We are running out of time."

"If you are in an evacuation zone, you need to go now. This is a catastrophic storm like our state has never seen," Mr Scott told reporters.

He added that the storm's effects would be felt from coast to coast.