Five dolphins die in 'highly unusual stranding event'

The dolphins got into difficulty in the Cromarty Firth at the weekend

Five dolphins have washed up dead following what rescuers have described as an "unusual stranding event".

The animals were part of a group of more than 50 bottlenose dolphins that got stuck in shallow water in the Highlands' Cromarty Firth.

On Saturday, the group became stranded off Invergordon but were refloated by a rising tide.

They were spotted again on Sunday and there were concerns they would become stranded at the Cromarty Bridge.

British Divers Marine Life (BDMLR), which was monitoring the group, said it was fortunate the dolphins turned around and head out to deeper water.

Since the weekend, five dolphins have been found dead.

BDMLR said it was a "highly unusual stranding event for this species, the likes of which we have not encountered before".

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Scientists from the University of Glasgow-run Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme have begun examinations of the dead dolphins to determine the cause of death, and shed light on possible causes for the incident.

Most of the group were able to get to deeper water with the help of a rising tide

The group was spotted in the Moray Firth on Friday, then swam into the Cromarty Firth, where dolphins have become stranded before in the more sheltered and shallower water.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation field officer Charlie Phillips said the dolphins were not from the local Moray Firth bottlenose population.

Individual dolphins can be identified by the shape and markings on their dorsal fins.

Mr Phillips said the group appeared to be "behaving strangely".