The need to take a photo of a small dolphin has caused the unnecessary death of the creature off the coast of Argentina.
Two Franciscan Dolphins appeared on the coast near the city of Santa Teresita, and they were quickly scooped up by tourists to be photographed. According to the Argentine Wildlife Foundation, the actions caused one of the small dolphins to die.
“Like other dolphins, they can't stay too long out of the water as its thick skin provides you with internal heat quickly causing dehydration and death,” said a spokesperson in a statement.
The Franciscan is one of the smallest dolphins in the world and is only present in the coast of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. For the wildlife organization, the dolphins are a priority species and considered one of the most threatened.
“If you didn't know the Franciscan, share this photo. Maybe next time it appears you can help rescue it and it will not be a repeated story,” the statement continues.
There are less than 30,000 Franciscan’s and the species is vulnerable to extinction.
