Cherryanne initially set off her drone to film the Coast Road – “one of Malta’s most beautiful coasts and shores”.

But at the corner of her drone screen, she saw the filthy pool and couldn’t help but explore a little more.

“I didn’t realise there were real dolphins in the pool and I felt I just couldn’t ignore it,” she explained.

This footage comes just one day after local, Eva Sammut, filmed the three dolphins swimming in disastrous conditions. This prompted her to launch a petition calling for these dolphins to be sent to a coastal conservation facility where their intelligent and social nature can flourish.

Being held in captivity can be detrimental for these creatures which, when wild, swim long distances and form complex social relationships daily.

Activists have long been calling for authorities to intervene in the treatment of animals at the Mediterraneo Marine Park – these calls heightened when three dolphins died from lead poisoning. The conditions are visibly inadequate while animals are subject to circus-like performances.

Authorities have so far ignored the public’s calls and the park continues to operate uninterrupted.

Lovin Malta has reached out to the Animal Welfare Department for a comment.

Are you concerned for the wellbeing of these dolphins?