Unpleasant surprise greets beach goers

Although rare, dolphins have been spotted swimming in the Mediterranean. © NASA

The deceased mammal had been stranded and buried in the sand for at least two days. On discovering the body it was immediately fenced off by a makeshift stone wall and action was taken for it to be moved elsewhere.

An animal rescue group sent by CODIS, in conjunction with the Marine Brigade, worked together with local lifeguards to perform the delicate operation. The dolphin was then taken to a nearby veterinary hospital for a post-mortem that would reveal its gender, age and the cause of death.

A firefighter explained to the press, "it could have been a sick old dolphin, who left its flock and died." Though rare, spotting dolphins is nothing new for sunbathers and swimmers on the beaches of the Côte d'Azur.

It was only one year ago that The Riviera Times reported that a ‘shark’, (which was in fact a dolphin) caused quite the stir on the beaches around Cagnes-sur-Mer, temporarily shutting them down