Dolphin found dead on West Sussex beach - 'Somebody should give it a post-mortem'

Military veteran Hamish Neathercoat said he was ‘extremely concerned’ to find a dead dolphin washed up on Climping beach at 10am on New Years’ Day (Monday).

The local resident said: “It’s just sad because it’s a big animal and there could be many of them.

"A friend who runs a fishing boat said there’s a pod of dolphins or porpoises. It’s because there’s a lot of fish.

"To see them washed up as a carcass is a shame. I think somebody should take it away and give it a post-mortem. That’s what they normally do.

“I swim down down there all year round and a dolphin regularly joins me and swims over me. I just hope it’s not the one I swim with.”

A second dead dolphin reportedly washed up on Hove beach on New Years’ Eve.

Asked about the discovery on Climping beach, a spokesperson for Arun District Council said: “Marine wildlife fatalities during the early months of the year are expected and not unusual. This is mostly due to adverse weather and sea conditions, particularly if that creature is not at its strongest.”