A tourist has captured on camera the frenzied rescue of a pod of beached dolphins on a beach north of Rio de Janeiro.

The footage shows over 20 dolphins trapped in the surf and thrashing their flippers in distress.

Realising the dolphins' plight, a dozen beachgoers began to pull the dolphins back into deeper water by their tails.


Cheers and applause erupted on the beach when final dolphin was safely returned to the sea.

The improvised rescue mission took place on Wednesday near Arraial do Cabo, a seaside community 100 miles north of Rio de Janeiro known for its scuba diving.