Expert reveals likely cause of death after dolphin found dead on Hove beach

The deceased sea creature was spotted on the beach in Hove on Monday - just weeks after the fin of a great white shark was reportedly spotted yards off the coast.

Georgia Tournay-Godfrey, who came across the dolphin while running at about 8.50am, said she spotted the animal adjacent to The Meeting Place Café in King's Road.

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“My brother and I have been obsessing over the shark spotted in Worthing recently, so my first thought was that the great white had it for breakfast,” she said.

“Its head was missing. It was pretty gruesome.”

Thea Taylor, of the Sussex Dolphin Project, has since revealed the creature is a male common dolphin.

“They are usually a summer visitor to the Sussex stretch of the Eastern English Channel and not generally recorded here at this time of year,” she said.

“This individual has been dead for some time and has an unusual injury to the head, but it is difficult to tell if this injury is directly linked to death or occurred post-mortem due to the state of decomposition.”

Headless dolphin found dead on Hove beach

Thea also encouraged the public not to go near dead sea creatures.

“Please do not touch or try to move the decomposing body as it can become a health hazard. Please keep dogs away,” she said.

“Please report any strandings of this nature to Sussex Dolphin Project and UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme."

Photos believed to be of a great white shark were captured by James Venn while he stood on the beach near Goring on February 4

Just a few weeks ago, photos believed to be of a great white shark were captured by James Venn while he stood on the beach near Goring on February 4.

“At the time I thought it was a seal but, when I looked at the photos again, I thought it doesn't look like a seal,” he said.

Mr Venn sent the images to experienced shark fisherman Graeme Pullen, who said that it was "an undisputed shark".

Mr Pullen said that due to the size and distinctive triangular shape of the dorsal fin, it could only be a mako or a small great white shark.

However, he later ruled out the former due to the cold temperature of the water.

"It can only be a small, immature great white who was looking for seals or bass to eat as they are more likely to come in close (to land) to feed,” he said.

The creature was spotted 30 miles away from another credible sighting of a great white off Hayling Island in Hampshire in 2017.

However, a spokesman for Littlehampton Harbour said the fin sighting was actually the end of a Ferring Outfall pipe.