Dolphin dies after two found stranded on beaches

The mother dolphin was found on Pentraeth beach

A dolphin has died after a mother and her juvenile calf were found beached.

The pair were found in two separate locations on Anglesey and were returned to the sea after a 12-hour rescue operation.

However, one of the dolphins, believed the be the juvenile male, was found dead by HM Coastguard earlier.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out to try and establish why the dolphins became stranded, which could help inform conservation efforts.

Nine volunteers transported the female to another beach to return to the sea

The "unprecedented" rescue on Wednesday involved nine volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue and HM Coastguard crews from Moelfre and Penmon.

The 2.15m (7ft) female was found on Pentraeth beach, but had to be taken to Moelfre on a flatbed truck after rescuers realised she could not be safely re-floated due to the tide being out on the flat beach.

Gem Simmons, the north Wales marine rescue co-ordinator, said it was the first time her team had ever moved a dolphin by road before in a rescue.

She said: "I stayed with her along with another medic and we kept her wet and made sure no water entered her blowhole."

She said it took about four minutes for the dolphin to swim off after being returned to the water.

A juvenile dolphin was later found in a salt marsh

The common dolphin was in good condition when she was found, with no signs of injury or illness, but swollen mammary glands indicated she was, or had been, nursing.

After the rescue, Ms Simmons received another call reporting another dolphin stranded at Wern y Wylan in Llanddona.

It was the 1.5m (5ft) juvenile lying in a salt marsh. He was placed in a water-filled channel in the hope the tide would take him out to sea.

But it was later found dead near Red Wharf Bay.

Why the dolphins became stranded is not known, but Ms Simmons said it would likely be a case of "navigational error".