FOUR young men have been handed suspended prison sentences and fines after breaking into a Mallorca dolphinarium to swim with the mammals.
The group, aged between 18 and 23, breached the beachside fence at Marineland in Costa d’en Blanes, Calvia, at around 1am on March 9.
Once inside the enclosure, they jumped into the pool to swim with the dolphins, and even threw several balls to them.
Security personnel have warned that this stunt was in fact very dangerous for the animals, as past cases have seen dolphins die after swallowing similar objects.
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The venue’s alarm system was triggered and the intruders attempted to flee through the stadium stands, Ultima Hora reports.
Officers from the Guardia Civil attempted to pursue but the youths jumped onto a pathway within the grounds.
They were eventually caught by security assistants and police without putting up any resistance.
During a fast-track trial at a Palma court, all four defendants pleaded guilty to trespassing.
The prosecution had initially sought a six-month prison term and a €540 fine for each individual.
A plea agreement with the defence reduced the penalty to a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years on the condition they do not reoffend.
Each defendant was also ordered to pay a €360 fine.
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