Beachgoers found the striped dolphin on the beach on Saturday, and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) was called.

A NPWS spokeswoman said, because the dolphin was not a rare breed, they didn’t take the carcass for further examination.

“Based on our reports, there was no reason for us to act,” she said.

She said the dolphin there had no marks or scratches that would suggest that it was killed by “human intervention”.

However, she said there was a large population of marine animals at the moment and stranding incidents were on the increase.

According to the spokeswoman, disposing of the dead dolphin was Eurobodalla Shire Council’s responsibility because it washed up on a council beach.

A council spokeswoman said the dolphin remained on the beach until it was buried on Wednesday morning, after they sought advice from NPWS.