'Selfish' tourists blamed for baby dolphin death Published duration 16 August 2017

image copyright Equinac image caption Tourists touching the baby dolphin on the beach in southern Spain

A baby dolphin has died after it was surrounded by tourists looking to take photographs on a beach in southern Spain.

It had lost its mother and become stranded in shallow waters off the coast of Mojacar in Andalucia.

Tourists then began touching and photographing the animal rather than seeking help for it.

Equinac, a local NGO, said "selfishness" caused the dolphin "suffering and stress."

image copyright Equinac image caption A member of Equinac holds the dolphin after it was recovered from the beach

The organisation, which works to protect marine wildlife in the area, wrote in a Facebook post (in Spanish): "The animal was subjected to the curious who wanted to photograph and touch it."