The youngest common bottlenose dolphin in the Sado estuary (Setúbal) was found dead on Friday last week, after its mother was seen lifting her baby to the surface with her back to help it breathe.
Sapal was part of a dolphin population of 26 regularly monitored by the nature reserve’s biologists, who later removed the dead animal from the water.
Pedro Narra from Vertigem Azul, a company that promotes dolphin watching, said: “It was extremely sad to watch the mother trying to keep her baby alive. It lasted all day.”
A necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
