--- title: "Migrants filmed holding baby dolphin aloft in Ceuta" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/media/migrants-filmed-holding-baby-dolphin-aloft-in-ceuta" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/migrants-filmed-holding-baby-dolphin-aloft-in-ceuta" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/media/migrants-filmed-holding-baby-dolphin-aloft-in-ceuta.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/migrants-filmed-holding-baby-dolphin-aloft-in-ceuta" category: "Media" area: "European Union" published: "2026-09-05T01:05:16.604Z" source_reported: "2026-09-05T00:45:37.000Z" updated: "2026-09-05T01:05:16.604Z" trust_score: 46 critic_score: 71 hype_score: 55 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-05T02:00:21.674615+00:00" --- # Migrants filmed holding baby dolphin aloft in Ceuta *Video footage shows a group of men with a dolphin calf on a Spanish enclave beach, prompting an environmental complaint.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 46 of 100, higher is better. Multiple independent digests cite El Faro de Ceuta video; no named persons, hedging lowers score. - Craft 71 of 100, higher is better. Why it matters noted; specific place/date given; next steps mentioned; no quotes, headline sensational. - Hype 55 of 100, lower is better. Sensational headlines with thin digests create notable hype beyond the limited factual content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Video footage shows a group of migrants on a beach in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta holding a baby dolphin aloft. - The incident occurred at Trampolín beach. - Environmental organisation DAUBMA has filed a complaint with the Civil Guard. - Local outlet El Faro de Ceuta verified the footage of the incident. Video footage from Ceuta shows a group of people pulling a baby dolphin from the water and holding it up on the beach. The incident took place on Trampolín beach in the Spanish enclave. The environmental organisation DAUBMA has filed a complaint with the Civil Guard concerning the death of the dolphin calf. El Faro de Ceuta, a local publication, verified the video footage. ## Disagreement on the dolphin's death Daily Mail reported that the dolphin calf was pulled from the water and struck on the head with a stick, causing its death. Internewscast stated that the dolphin was tragically killed after being struck by individuals crossing illegally. The Daily Wire reported that the animal was pulled from the water and struck in the head with a stick. Modernity.news reported that one of the men bludgeoned it in the head with a stick. The Daily Express and The US Sun reported that the dolphin was beaten to death. However, the digest from Fox News stated that the dolphin calf was hit and possibly killed. The digest from WWBL and wfmd.com stated that the dolphin was hit and possibly killed. The digest from Libertad Digital stated that a group of immigrants beat a dolphin calf to death and exhibited it as a trophy. The digest from GB News stated that one migrant allegedly hit the animal on the head with a stick and seriously injured it. The digest from Alerta Digital stated that the dolphin calf was found dead. The digest from The Objective stated that the dolphin calf died at the hands of immigrants. The digest from CLG News stated that the dolphin was pulled from the sea and beaten to death. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre-rated reports mentioned the environmental organisation DAUBMA by name or its specific complaint to the Civil Guard. None of the right-rated reports mentioned the environmental organisation DAUBMA by name or its specific complaint to the Civil Guard. ## Who covered it Shares of the 13 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 23% (3) - Right: 77% (10) 5 of 18 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-05T02:00:21.674615+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-05T02:30:50.609Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports led with the visual of migrants holding the dolphin calf aloft. Daily Mail published the headline 'Migrants raise dolphin in the air after it was 'hit with a stick''. Internewscast's headline was 'Shocking Incident: Baby Dolphin Killed in Ceuta, Spain!' Both reports carried details of the dolphin being pulled from the water and struck. Internewscast included a link to the video footage. Daily Mail also reported that locals confronted the men and warned them it was illegal to touch or eat the dolphin, and mentioned an online petition demanding those responsible be identified and brought to court. ### Right - The right-rated reports focused on the alleged killing of the dolphin calf by migrants. Headlines included 'Migrants accused of beating baby dolphin to death in Spain' (CLG News), 'Migrants Beat Baby Dolphin To Death, Parade Carcass Like Trophy' (The Daily Wire), and 'Ceuta: Illegal migrants triumphantly hold baby dolphin aloft after ‘whacking it over the head’ in horror attack' (GB News). These reports detailed the dolphin being pulled from the water, struck with a stick, and paraded as a trophy. Several reports, including those from The Daily Wire, GB News, modernity.news, The US Sun, and Daily Express, mentioned the dolphin being bludgeoned or beaten to death. Reports from CLG News, The Daily Wire, and GB News specifically mentioned the complaint filed with the Civil Guard. The Daily Wire and GB News noted that the footage was verified by local outlet El Faro de Ceuta. Several reports also mentioned the large number of migrants who had arrived in Ceuta from Morocco. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 1 - mixed: 10 - high: 1 - unknown: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CLG News](https://legitgov.org/migrants-accused-of-beating-baby-dolphin-to-death-in-spain) — Migrants accused of beating baby dolphin to death in Spain - [WWBL](https://wwbl.com/2026/09/04/migrants-spark-outrage-after-video-shows-baby-dolphin-beaten-during-beach-celebration) — Migrants spark outrage after video shows baby dolphin beaten during beach celebration - [wfmd.com](https://wfmd.com/2026/09/04/migrants-spark-outrage-after-video-shows-baby-dolphin-beaten-during-beach-celebration) — Migrants spark outrage after video shows baby dolphin beaten during beach celebration - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/world/migrants-spark-outrage-video-shows-baby-dolphin-beaten-beach-celebration) — Migrants spark outrage after video shows baby dolphin beaten during beach celebration - [Het Laatste Nieuws](https://hln.be/buitenland/ophef-in-ceuta-na-beelden-van-migranten-die-dode-babydolfijn-als-trofee-omhooghouden~ae3ff228) — Outrage in Ceuta After Images of Migrants Holding up Dead Baby Dolphin as a Trophy - [Libertad Digital](https://libertaddigital.com/espana/2026-09-04/un-grupo-de-inmigrantes-mata-a-golpes-a-una-cria-de-delfin-en-ceuta-y-lo-exhiben-como-trofeo-7455240) — A Group of Immigrants Beat to Death a Dolphin Calf in Ceuta and Exhibited It as a Trophy - [20minutos](https://20minutos.es/television/patricia-pardo-estalla-con-video-unos-migrantes-con-un-delfin-ceuta-vamos-poner-foco-no-perder-perspectiva_7033037_0.html) — Patricia Pardo Bursts with the Video of Migrants with a Dolphin in Ceuta: "Let's Put the Focus and Not Lose Perspective" - [Deník.cz](https://denik.cz/svet/migranti-v-ceute-vytahli-z-more-delfina-zabery-rozbourily-socialni-site) — Migrants in Ceuta Pull Dolphin From Sea. Footage Goes Viral on Social Media - [The Daily Wire](https://dailywire.com/news/migrants-beat-baby-dolphin-to-death-parade-carcass-like-trophy) — Migrants Beat Baby Dolphin To Death, Parade Carcass Like Trophy - [GB News](https://gbnews.com/news/world/ceuta-illegal-migrants-triumphantly-hold-baby-dolphin-aloft) — Ceuta: Illegal migrants triumphantly hold baby dolphin aloft after ‘whacking it over the head’ in horror attack - [modernity.news](https://modernity.news/2026/09/04/they-clubbed-a-baby-dolphin-to-death) — They Clubbed A Baby DOLPHIN To Death… - [Alerta Digital](https://alertadigital.com/2026/09/04/una-entidad-ecologista-denuncia-ante-la-guardia-civil-a-los-inmigrantes-ilegales-que-han-asesinado-un-delfin-en-la-playa-del-trampolin) — Environmental Entity Denounces Illegal Immigrants Who Have Killed a Dolphin on Trampoline Beach to the Civil Guard - [The Objective | Periodismo ethos](https://theobjective.com/espana/tribunales/2026-09-04/alvise-denuncia-muerte-golpes-cria-delfin-inmigrantes-ceuta) — Alvise Denounces the Death of a Dolphin Calf at the Hands of Immigrants in Ceuta - [Daily Express](https://express.co.uk/news/world/2245472/horror-migrants-parade-baby-dolphin) — Horror as migrants parade around baby dolphin before 'beating it to death' - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/video-shocking-incident-baby-dolphin-killed-in-ceuta-spain) — Shocking Incident: Baby Dolphin Killed in Ceuta, Spain! - [dailymail.com](https://dailymail.com/news/article-16104703/Ceutas-illegal-migrants-raise-dolphin-calf-like-trophy-beat-death-stick.html) — Migrants raise dolphin in the air after it was 'hit with a stick' - [The US Sun](https://the-sun.com/news/16946578/migrants-kill-baby-dolphin-ceuta) — Moment Ceuta migrants parade round baby dolphin before ‘beating it to death' - [El Faro de Ceuta](https://elfarodeceuta.es/daubma-cecam-delitos-ambientales-abandono-institucional-fauna-marina-domestica-ceuta) — DAUBMA and CECAM to Deal with Environmental Crimes and Institutional Abandonment of Marine and Domestic Fauna in Ceuta ## Questions **What happened in the video footage from Ceuta?** Video footage shows a group of migrants on a beach in Ceuta pulling a baby dolphin from the water and holding it aloft. The incident occurred at Trampolín beach. **What action has been taken regarding the incident?** The environmental organisation DAUBMA has filed a complaint with the Civil Guard concerning the death of the dolphin calf. Local outlet El Faro de Ceuta verified the footage. **How did the centre-rated reports cover the incident?** The centre-rated reports led with the visual of migrants holding the dolphin calf aloft and included details of the dolphin being pulled from the water and struck. One report also mentioned locals confronting the men and an online petition. **How did the right-rated reports cover the incident?** The right-rated reports focused on the alleged killing of the dolphin calf by migrants, detailing it being pulled from the water, struck with a stick, and paraded as a trophy. Several mentioned the complaint filed with the Civil Guard. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. 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