THREE more dead dolphins washed up on Lulworth beach on Friday and Saturday – the latest to be found during a tragic winter for the marine mammal.

Mystery surrounds the deaths of a number of dolphins this season.

However, officials from the Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) say large waves, strong winds and big swells could be behind the rising numbers of the creatures which have washed up over the past few months.

On Friday, January 17, officials from the coastguard were called to Lulworth Cove after two carcasses were found.

An official from the team said: "Sadly, we found one dolphin half-buried in shingle and the jaw of other close by."

Measurements and photographs were taken.

The following day, Saturday, the team were called out yet again after another dolphin was spotted.

The spokesperson said the 'unmarked' carcass, which was badly decomposed, had been found by a member of the public at the eastern end of the cove.

Representatives from DWT have called for anyone who finds one of the creatures to report is as soon as possible.

DWT’s Chesil centre officer, Sarah Hodgson, said: "There are many reasons that could cause these animals to die, including natural causes or as a result of human activity such as by-catch from commercial fisheries, entanglement from ghost fishing-gear or pollution.

"However, without in-depth examinations we can only speculate."

The majority of the discovered strandings have been either common dolphins or harbour porpoises.

However, a rare white-beaked dolphin measuring over nine feet in length was recently discovered at Hallelujah Bay on Portland.

The recent strong southwesterly winds have also brought in a number of Portuguese man o’war jellyfish, which typically reside in the open Atlantic Ocean.

Over the weekend of January 11 and 12, six have washed up on beaches across Dorset.