Baby Dolphin Dies After Beachgoers Passed It Around for Selfies

A baby dolphin was killed in Argentina last week after beachgoers scooped it out of the water and passed it around for selfies. The incident has sparked outrage from animal rights activists and warnings from a wildlife foundation.

An Argentinian man named Hernan Coria was on a sandy beach at a resort in Santa Teresita on February 10th, 2016, when he noticed a large crowd of people gathered around a man who had picked up the baby dolphin. His photos show the dolphin being passed around as people pull out smartphone cameras to take pictures of it.

Posted by Hernan Coria on Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Posted by Hernan Coria on Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Posted by Hernan Coria on Wednesday, February 10, 2016

The Argentine Wildlife Foundation published a statement this week, saying that the La Plata dolphin is vulnerable, and that only an estimated 30,000 individuals exist off the coast of Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.

“The potential for recovery of this species is very low” due to the breeding habits of the females, the organization says. And when the dolphin is taken out of the water, the exposure to the environment will quickly cause dehydration and death.

“It is fundamental that people help to rescue these animals, because every Franciscana counts now.”