Injured Dolphin Dies After Being Mistreated by Photo Snapping Tourists

Tourists at a beach resort in China sparked a public outcry after photographs of them posing with a dying dolphin spread around the Internet.

Xinhua, China's state news agency, said the group of tourists at a beach in Sanya City contributred to the death of the dolphin by mistreating it and lifting it out of the water to be photographed.

The news agency said the dolphin ultimately died due to excessive bleeding from the tail, likely caused by an injury caused by colliding with a fishing boat. It is believed the dolphin beached itself as a result of the injury.

But instead of trying to help the distressed animal, the tourists used the occasion for a photo-op. Several men can be seen in the photos lifting the dolphin out of the water, one of them striking a pose with his muscles flexed.

Possible ways the tourists could have helped the dolphin include calling for medical help, keeping it wet and out of the sun and ensuring no debris or water entered the blowhole at the top of its head, according to Xinhua.

Reactions on Chinese social media were fierce, with people on Weibo condemning the group for "disregarding life," "having no shame," and "ignorance for using a dolphin as a photography prop," Xinhua reported. Another user said the act shows "Chinese tourists' uncivilized habits."

The last comment may have been a reference to other recent embarrassments caused by Chinese tourists, including reports from last month that a 14-year-old boy defaced an ancient Egyptian temple during a family trip and a scuba diver picking up live coral during a trip to the Maldives.