Sunburned dolphin Spirtle continues to heal

Image source, WDC/Charlie Phillips

Image caption, The new picture of Spirtle and her scars

A new image has revealed how a dolphin's sunburn injuries have continued to heal over.

Known to conservationists as Spirtle, the bottlenose dolphin was badly injured while she was stranded out of water on mudflats for 24 hours in the Cromarty Firth in May 2016.

She was spotted by chance at the time by a couple who had got lost trying to drive to a dolphin-watching spot at the Moray Firth.

Image source, University of Aberdeen

Image caption, An image of Spirtle and her sunburn in 2016

Rescuers refloated the dolphin but did not think she would survive.

University of Aberdeen scientists and Whale and Dolphin Conservation field officer Charlie Phillips have been monitoring her ongoing recovery.

Mr Phillips took the latest image of Spirtle close to Fort George, near Ardersier, on the Moray Firth.

Image source, WDC/Charlie Phillips

Image caption, A picture of Spirtle with another dolphin taken last year

All images are copyrighted.