Second dolphin dies in inland Cambridgeshire river

The dolphins had been spotted swimming in a Cambridgeshire river

A second dolphin has died after a pair were seen swimming in a river up to 45 miles (72km) inland, conservationists have confirmed.

One of the pair - a calf - had to be euthanised on Saturday night after getting trapped in reeds off the River Great Ouse in Cambridgeshire.

The mother dolphin was spotted dead in the same river on Monday.

Post-mortem examinations on both are expected to be carried out.

Two common dolphins had been spotted in the river at King's Lynn in Norfolk and then had been seen as far inland as Bluntisham, near Huntingdon, last week.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) volunteers became involved when one of the pair became trapped deep in reeds in the New Bedford River - which runs off the River Great Ouse - near Pymoor, Cambridgeshire, at about 19:30 BST on Saturday.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue and Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service attempted to save the first dolphin

BDMLR said the distressed mammal was put down after rescue efforts failed.

There were hopes its mother might make her way back to the sea but she was found dead two days later.

It was hoped the pair of dolphins would be able to make their way back to the sea

Dan Jarvis, from the BDMLR team, told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "We have been made aware that the other dolphin's been found dead as well, still in the River Great Ouse near Bluntisham - approximately 10km (six miles) from where the calf was on Saturday evening, where it stranded."

He said it was "very disappointing and sad" that both had died.

Pymoor is about 25 miles (40km) from the sea and Bluntisham is about 36 miles (58km) from the nearest coast.

Rob Deaville, a specialist with the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, which deals with whales, dolphins and porpoises, said examinations of both the dolphins would be carried out.