Stranded dolphin dies in Alcudia

Tourists raised the alarm at Alcudia beach yesterday morning when a dolphin was found stranded on the sand. Town council biologists rushed to the scene to help the stricken mammal and they were later joined by specialists from Marineland. However, all efforts to persuade the dolphin to return to the water were in vain, and after several hours it finally gave up the struggle and died. Experts believe that it came ashore because it was sick. This is not the first time that beached dolphins have been found in Majorca. In August last year, the remains of a dolphin were found in the port of Palma. The cause of its death was unclear, but plastic bags and fishing hooks are a major hazard to dolphins off coastal waters. Last April, a dolphin was found dead in Ibiza. This time, experts say that it died of old age.