Nature
PUBLISHED
Selfies just hit a new low.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.News reports from the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina have said that a small dolphin has died at the resort Santa Teresita after beach go-ers removed it from the water to pet and pose for photographs with it.
The images showing dozens of people swarming the tiny dolphin were uploaded onto social media last week.
In an online statement, Vida Silvestre Foundation confirmed the dolphin had died and said it was most likely killed by dehydration. Dolphins have a thick layer of greasy skin and fat designed to insulate them in cool waters. However, on a hot Argentinian beach, they can easily overheat and dehydrate.
It’s believed the dolphin was a Franciscana (also known as a Plata dolphin), roughly around 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) long. This species is often found in the Atlantic waters to the east of South America and is one of the world’s smallest dolphins. To add further insult to injury, it’s also one of South America’s rarer dolphins – listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a “vulnerable” species.
No animal's life is worth a photograph, please respect nature and leave it where it belongs.
Santa Teresita: sacaron un delfín del mar para tomarse una foto y lo mataron por accidente https://t.co/L5F4GI6pc7 pic.twitter.com/XHmu3b7IZ5
— LA NACION (@LANACION) February 17, 2016
