Picture of couple posing with beached dolphin 'that later died' causes outrage

The couple who have not been identified, are believed to have found the dolphin struggling in the shallows on a beach in Lima, Peru

The beachgoers did not think to help the stranded dolphin (Chris McGrath/ Getty)

Photos of two beachgoers manhandling a dolphin that is believed to have later died are circulating online.

The images, which include a man and woman lifting and even riding a dolphin on a beach, have been met with widespread condemnation.

While nobody has yet been able to confirm the identity of the two people they are believed to be from Lima, Peru. The images have been shared hundreds of thousands of times in a bid to definitively identify the pair.

A couple, believed to be from Peru, posing with a beached dolphin have met with widespread anger on the internet (credit: Facebook) (Facebook)

The four images are captioned “Guy and Girl find dolphin on shore, they decide to take silly pictures with it instead of letting it back into ocean. Dolphin dies shortly after.”

The photos managed to cause further outrage since couple chose to pose for photos rather than help the dolphin.

According to Reddit users, where the story originated, the dolphin was already in distress when it was picked out of the water. The story originally surfaced a year ago.

Peta Associate Director Elisa Allen, told The Independent: “These callous and frankly idiotic individuals need to be found and prosecuted for cruelty to animals.

“Dolphins are highly intelligent, sensitive, and self-aware animals, and it is never acceptable to treat them as mere play things.

“They live in tight family units with bonds that may last a lifetime, and these tourists’ actions may have caused the dolphin’s death, likely leaving a grieving family behind.”