A dead dolphin was found at the bottom of the Rdum tal-Madonna cliffs in the Aħrax tal-Mellieħa area some days ago, Nature Trust said today.

It said the carcass was spotted by BirdLife members, who reported the incident to Nature Trust.

Members of the rescue team went on site by boat, but had to swim to reach the carcass, as it was inside a cave.

The 2.5-metre dolphin was in an advanced state of decomposition and the number and size of the maggots on the carcass showed that it had been dead for quite a while.

The upper jaw was missing, and it was unclear whether it was a striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) or a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis).

Common dolphins are one of the cetacean species that are most heavily impacted by human activities, such as reduced availability of prey caused by overfishing, and habitat degradation. They are listed as 'endangered' in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Animals.

Striped dolphins often get entangled in fishing nets and lines since they feed on fish species that are also important from a commercial point of view. The species is classified as 'conservation dependant', and without conservation efforts, striped dolphins too, would probably be classified as 'threatened'.

Nature Trust urged the public to be cautious, especially during the summer months, when Maltese waters became home to different species of marine turtles and dolphins. Fast boats and pollution, it said, could harm these creatures, most of which were endangered, and turtles could mistake plastic for jellyfish, or accidentally become entangled in loose nylon fishing lines. 

Further information on what people should do if they spot an injured or stranded animal can be found on www.naturetrustmalta.org .

Members of the rescue team can also be contacted directly on 9942-2086 or 9942-2085.