Itapema, Brazil - May 17, 2024

A stranded dolphin is rescued from a beach only to die while being treated because it had half a kilogramme of plastic binliners lodged in its throat and stomach.

Distressing video footage from Itapema beach in central Brazil shows the desperately ill Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) being carried away by rescuers on 17th May.

Despite expert care from the Centre for Research, Rehabilitation and Depetrolisation of Marine Animals the female dolphin died.

And now shocking autopsy images have revealed the devastating amount of rubbish dumped in the sea she had swallowed.

Photos show half a kilogramme of plastic bin liners compressed into rugby ball-sized lumps found in the 70-kilogramme dolphin's throat and stomach.

Experts say the plastic and a 20-centimetre piece of wood were responsible for her death.

Waste such as wood and plastic damages the mucous membranes of the oesophagus of marine animals, which leads to ulcers and haemorrhages.

These materials also impair the absorption of nutrients and, with a full stomach, prevent the animal from seeking out the food it needs to eat to survive.