Rescue crews are trying to save a baby dolphin that was discovered struggling in shallow water at a Mississippi beach.

Institute for Marine Mammal Studies Executive Director Moby Solangi told WLOX-TV the dolphin was in bad condition on Sunday, and the next few days would be critical.

The institute was called to a Gulfport beach earlier in the day. Rescuers, with the help of Gulfport police and beachgoers, put the male dolphin in back of a pickup truck and took it to the institute for treatment.

The animal was disoriented, so staff was supporting it in the water to prevent it from drowning, Solangi said. He said the institute took blood samples and microbiological cultures to evaluate its health.
The young dolphin is still dependent on its mother’s milk. Solangi said the stranding was unusual.