A group of illegal migrants on a beach in Ceuta, the Spanish enclave in North Africa, were filmed lifting a baby dolphin above their heads like a trophy after allegedly striking it with a stick, in an incident that has provoked outrage among local residents. Footage shows a Spanish bystander confronting the group, warning them that touching or eating the protected animal was illegal, while others in the crowd reportedly cheered and laughed. The episode has fuelled tensions in Ceuta, where thousands of migrants remain after an estimated 72,500 crossed into the territory last month, and has prompted calls for those responsible to face prosecution.

According to local newspaper El Faro de Ceuta, the dolphin calf had been swimming close to the shore at Trampolin Beach on 2 September 2026 when it was pulled from the water and struck on the head, reportedly killing it; a cleaning worker who witnessed the incident intervened and urged the group to call an animal collection service instead. Nadia Garcia Gomez has launched an online petition calling on the Ceuta government delegation, environmental authorities and the Civil Guard's Seprona unit to identify and prosecute those involved, noting that dolphins are strictly protected under Spanish and EU law and that killing one carries serious criminal penalties. The migrants involved indicated to onlookers that the animal was already dead, with one making a throat-slitting gesture, though one member of the group appeared to attempt to return it to the sea.