Experts at Marine Endangered Species Unit (MESU) of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) confirmed that the dolphin had suffered a severe infection.
Lifeguards stationed at Karon Beach reported to the PMBC that they had found the dolphin at about midday.
MESU veterinarians Watcharaporn Kaewmong and Chawanya Jearkwathanyu soon arrived and accompanied the dolphin while it was transported to the PMBC headquarters at Cape Panwa.
However, the dolphin died en route.
“It was a mature male striped dolphin, about 30 to 40 years old. It weighed 80 kilograms and measured two meters in length,” Ms Watcharaporn said.
“There was a big wound the left side of it head. We believe that this wound had become infected. We also found marks on its body that seemed to indicate that the dolphin had been tangled in a fishing net,” she explained.
“We will have to take blood samples and run some tests in order to determine the actual cause of death,” Ms Watcharaporn added.