A 19-year-old from Florida, USA, is in trouble after sharing a picture of a dolphin on Instagram this week.
In the picture you can see the man, who is cheerful and happy, holding a small dolphin.
It’s not the image of the sea animal in itself that attracts attention, but rather what happened next:
Pulling a dolphin out of the water can cause it to suffocate, and that’s exactly what happened.
The male animal was found dead and abandoned on a beach on Wednesday morning.
Newspaper News I mentioned it first.
A boy (14 years old) locked in the packing box
‘Rare opportunity’
Local marine biologists have examined the dolphin in question, and now confirm that it is the same one shown in the Instagram photo.
Dr. Quincy Gibson of the University of North Florida tells News that the dolphin was likely alive when the photo was taken.
The American teen, who was not named, defended his actions by saying the dolphin’s death “was an accident”.
He also said it was a “rare” and “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to get such a photo.
In a subsequent statement, the young man claimed that the 1-year-old male dolphin had already died, and that the 19-year-old was found under a bridge near Nassau Sound, Jacksonville.
However, local marine biologists deny this theory, and for their part, they are certain that the death is solely the Instagram user’s fault.
Incoming feedback
The image of the dolphin went viral on social media earlier this week. And although it has now been removed from the man’s Instagram account, it continues to be retweeted — and the reactions are pouring in:
– That’s so damned. Who would do such a thing for a selfie, asked Kevin Bogrand, the local surfer who reposted the photo.
Big study: – Die early
Bogrand tells The News that he is “very disappointed and horrified by the dolphin’s death.”
– He says: I was angry, and adds that it is a “crime against nature.”
The Florida Wildlife Conservancy is now taking the case to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the US ocean and atmospheric study and control agency. They believe the 19-year-old is responsible for his death, the paper writes.
The young man has not yet been charged, but marine biologists hope this action will have consequences, the newspaper reported.
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