A TRAPPED dolphin was found off the beach of Alamillo in Mazarrón (Murcia) early yesterday morning by residents out walking in the area.

Emergency services say the creature, which was still alive, was tangled up in water of less than a metre in depth off the coast.

Vets from the Wild Animal Recovery Centre in the region have been examining the dolphin to ascertain whether he has been hurt or is ill.

The bottlenose dolphin often turns up on beaches in the Murcia Region, experts have advised.

They are usually found off the coast in spring and summer, although this is the first time in months that a trapped one has been found alive.

Bottlenose dolphins are very common in the Spanish Mediterranean.

They tend to live to around 30 years of age, weigh up to 600 kilos and can grow to four metres in length.