This is the miracle moment a baby dolphin is rescued after strong winds and waves washed it ashore.

The exhausted calf had been stranded on the sand at Jaz beach, Budva, Montenegro, and could not wriggle its way back to the sea.

Video footage of the rescue shows passerby Manet Petricevic spotting the youngster on 20th October as it was lying on its side.

He escaped it up into his arms, with the dolphin beginning to squirm as Manet carried it down the beach to the Adriatic Sea.

At first, the dolphin struggled in the shallows until Manet picked it up again and waded out into the deeper water to release the calf.

Montenegro’s Institute of Marine Biology in Kotor later posted the footage and identified the trapped calf as a striped dolphin, or Stenella coeruleoalba.

They wrote: “Due to strong wind and waves, the sea threw a young dolphin onto Jaz beach.

“With the quick reaction of Mr Manet Petricevic, the dolphin was returned to the sea.”

Experts believe the calf had been separated from its mother in the storm and the noise of the thundering waves meant she could not hear its squeaks for help.

The institute said: “Because of the noise produced by the waves hitting the bottom and shore, the mother and group could not hear its voice.”

They added: “The Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro is in contact with experts from the Blue World Institute from Croatia. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do at this point but wait and hope the group reunites”.

The Jaz beach where the dolphin was found is one of the longest and most popular spots in Montenegro for sunbathing, swimming and camping.