A baby dolphin recently died tragically at a beach in Argentina after people paraded it on the shore for photos.

At the Santa Teresita beach resort in Argentina, a huge crowd of tourists gathered around a baby dolphin that was taken out of the water to have pictures taken with. However, the young mammal immediately overheated, as evidenced by its thick fatty skin. The dolphin shortly died and its body was simply left by the beachgoers on the sand. Some tourists continued taking shots of the dead dolphin afterwards.

Several photos emerged online, showing groups of people wanting to touch and take selfies with the La Plata dolphin. One tourist was holding the dolphin up for others to see, and there were several hands reaching over to touch it.

The La Plata dolphin, also known as the Franciscana dolphin, should be returned to the water by tourists immediately if they spot any on the beach. Its thick fatty skin regulates its body temperature so it is especially prone to dehydration and death if it is out of the water. There have been reported incidents of dolphins being taken out of the water to be displayed and photographed by tourists.

The Argentinian Wildlife Foundation was prompted to publicly announce about how La Plata dolphins are sensitive animals. These are categorized as a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) with only about 30,000 of them remaining worldwide. These are only located along the Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay coasts. The dolphins prefer to swim near the beach, where they may be easily caught. Their habitats have also been negatively affected by fisheries.

The Franciscana dolphin is among the smallest cetaceans with a very long beak and rounded forehead. It is hard to locate it in the wild because it stays away from boats. The dolphin usually swims alone but may also go in groups of up to 15. The creature usually roam in waters below 30 meters and is preyed upon by killer whales and sharks. They may move near the beach to feed on crustaceans, fish and squid.

Tourists have to be more vigilant in protecting the La Plata dolphins. More updates and details are expected soon.