Help Identify Animal Please

[Mintaka]

Hi we found this sea animal dead on the beach here in southern Spain yesterday. Can anyone identify it please?

 

It has been tagged by the Spanish authorities, it just says do not touch or move.

[Mintaka]

Hi we found this sea animal dead on the beach here in southern Spain yesterday. Can anyone identify it please?

 

It has been tagged by the Spanish authorities, it just says do not touch or move.

[modest]

Looks like a dolphin, probably a common dolphin.

 

Do you know if there's trawl fishing in the area?

 

~modest

[Turtle]

i'd guess that it's a dolphin or porpoise. not sure what kind; not having much luck finding full listings to peruse. maybe your local news will have a report.

[Turtle]

well, i have gone dizzy looking & no conclusion, but i have found a fairly good site and some details that seem key id features.

 

i count about 30 teeth in the lower jaw, but hard to tell how many more are packed in the sand at the back of the jaw. still, this may eliminate some possibilities.

 

the small flukes, concave on the trailing edge may help, as well as the rather small dorsal fin.

 

coloring might not help much as i read that this may change in deceased animals from coloration while alive, but it does appear to have a light belly. :confused:

 

i also read that a few species have small teeth on the lower jaw that show even when the mouth is closed, & the little white spots i have indicated with an arrow in the attached image may be such teeth. :shrug:

 

anyway, here's the site i found: >> Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

[Mintaka]

well, i have gone dizzy looking & no conclusion, but i have found a fairly good site and some details that seem key id features.

 

i count about 30 teeth in the lower jaw, but hard to tell how many more are packed in the sand at the back of the jaw. still, this may eliminate some possibilities.

 

the small flukes, concave on the trailing edge may help, as well as the rather small dorsal fin.

 

coloring might not help much as i read that this may change in deceased animals from coloration while alive, but it does appear to have a light belly. :confused:

 

i also read that a few species have small teeth on the lower jaw that show even when the mouth is closed, & the little white spots i have indicated with an arrow in the attached image may be such teeth. :shrug:

 

anyway, here's the site i found: >> Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

 

 

Thanks very much for your help. I have contacted the WDCS and sent them photos to ask for help with identifying it. I think it is a common-beaked dolphin too. Cheers!