“THEY TREATED IT LIKE A TROPHY” — BABY DOLPHIN DRAGGED FROM THE SEA AS VIDEO SPARKS OUTRAGE IN CEUTA

A disturbing video from Ceuta has triggered widespread outrage after a group of people were filmed surrounding and handling a baby dolphin that had been pulled from the sea.

The footage, reported by The Sun, shows the young dolphin being lifted from the water and passed between several men as people gathered around and appeared to take photographs and selfies with the distressed animal.

THE DISTRESSING FOOTAGE

The incident reportedly happened at Trampolín Beach in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast.

In the video, the dolphin can be seen struggling while several people hold onto it and grab at its mouth.

The Sun reported that one person allegedly appeared to strike the animal with a stick.

At one point, people wearing high-visibility clothing and gloves appear to approach the scene, apparently attempting to intervene.

Despite the apparent intervention, the dolphin was later reported dead.

The footage has prompted anger among local residents and animal-welfare campaigners, particularly because the dolphin appears to have been treated as something to pose with rather than an animal in distress.

ANIMAL WELFARE GROUP FILES COMPLAINT

The environmental organisation DAUBMA has formally complained to Spain’s Guardia Civil over the incident.

The organisation says a bottlenose dolphin calf was found dead on Trampolín Beach and has asked authorities to investigate whether the animal shown in the footage was the same dolphin later discovered dead.

DAUBMA’s complaint is intended to help authorities establish what happened and identify those allegedly responsible.

That distinction is important.

While the video has generated claims online that the dolphin was beaten to death, the exact cause of the animal’s death and whether the people filmed directly caused it have not yet been conclusively established in the sources reviewed.

CEUTA ALREADY UNDER IMMENSE PRESSURE

The incident comes as Ceuta is dealing with an intense migration and political crisis.

More than 72,000 migrants reportedly entered the Spanish enclave during a mass border breach beginning in late July, according to recent reports. Thousands remain in the territory, placing enormous pressure on local authorities and accommodation facilities.

The dolphin footage has therefore emerged against an already highly charged backdrop.

Thousands of residents have protested the Spanish government’s handling of the situation, while human-rights groups have also warned against hostility and discrimination toward migrants.

NOW AUTHORITIES MUST DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED

For animal-welfare campaigners, the central question is no longer simply who appeared in the video.

They want investigators to establish what happened to the dolphin after it was removed from the water, whether it suffered injuries, and whether anyone can be held legally responsible.

The video has already become one of the most shocking images to emerge from the current crisis in Ceuta.

But until the investigation is completed, claims about exactly how the dolphin died remain allegations rather than established fact.

One thing is already clear: the footage has sparked fury far beyond the beach where it was recorded — and pressure is now growing for authorities to identify those involved and determine whether Spanish animal-protection laws were broken.