Baby dolphin dead after being held out of water for Instagram photo, experts say – NBC15

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (WJXT) – A baby dolphin is believed to be dead after a man in Florida picked it up for an Instagram photo.The photo showing the dolphin being held above water is drawing the attention of law enforcement.Two marine biologists said it is hard to determine if the dolphin was alive when the photo was taken just by looking at the image. However, if the dolphin was dead, they said it wouldn’t have been for long.Dr. Quincy Gibson, with the University of North Florida’s Dolphin Research Program, is usually looped in by Florida wildlife investigators when a dead dolphin is discovered. Gibson said she was notified of this dolphin’s death Wednesday when what appears to be a 1-year-old male calf was reported dead by a biologist in Nassau County in the same area the photo was posted.In a new photo taken by investigators, the dolphin is seen bloated and bleeding around its mouth, which Gibson said is part of the decomposition process.Gibson said the dolphins in the photos appear to be the same one due to the similarity between the dorsal fins. She said each dolphin’s dorsal fin is unique.Amidst social media backlash, the person seen holding the
Read More