A dead dolphin was found in a cave at the foot of Mellieħa cliffs but the state of decomposition made it impossible to determine the cause of death, Nature Trust said yesterday.

“It was probably an adult but it was difficult to tell due to its state… We cannot tell how it died. It could have been hit by a boat, caught in a net or just got sick,” said Nature Trust executive president Vince Attard adding this was the third dolphin found dead in Maltese waters this year.

The carcass of the 2.5-metre-long dolphin was spotted by BirdLife Malta 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 beneath Rdum tal-Madonna cliffs in the L-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa area.

It was unclear whether it was a striped or a common dolphin.

Common dolphins areknown to be heavily impacted by human activities, such as reduced availability of prey caused by overfishing, and habitat degradation.

Striped dolphins often get entangled in fishing nets and lines because they feed on fish species that are also important from a commercial point of view.

Nature Trust urged the public to be cautious, especially during the summer months, when Maltese waters were home to different species of marine turtles and dolphins.

“Fast boats and pollution can harm these creatures, most of which are endangered, and turtles can mistake plastic for jellyfish or accidentally become entangled in loose nylon fishing lines,” Nature Trust said.

For information on what to do on spotting an injured or stranded animal visit www.naturetrustmalta.org.

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