Exclusive:
Exclusive: A lone bottlenose dolphin, named Reggie, had been playful with swimmers off Lyme Bay, Dorset, but experts believe his escalating behaviour is now a ‘serious concern’
Experts have “serious concerns” for public safety after a seemingly playful dolphin spotted swimming with a family off the UK coast has tried to “drown two women.”
A lone bottlenose dolphin named Reggie went viral after he was seen swimming with 50-year-old Lynda MacDonald, her partner, son, and his girlfriend in Lyme Bay, Dorset.
During the heartwarming video on August 3, the friendly mammal was seen asking for belly rubs and gliding across the water in what Lydia described as a “magical moment.”
However, the dolphin’s behaviour has since drastically changed as kayaker, Rhys Paterson, had to intervene, along with another boater, after Reggie began jumping on top of a woman last Thursday.
The dolphin pushed her head repeatedly under the water as she swam off the beach in Lyme Regis. Shocking footage shows her moments later exclaiming: “It scared me to death! Oh my goodness!” It comes as the dolphin was previously injured by a boat propeller.
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Rhys, a development director from Lyme Regis, said the incident was not the only confrontation, and the dolphin appeared to be “targeting women in wetsuits.”
“We saved two swimmers who were fairly deep, where the dolphin kept jumping on them,” he added. “The dolphin was basically drowning this woman – it kind of jumped on her back four times.” Marine experts had pleaded for tourists to stay away from Reggie after a high-speed boat propeller had injured him.
Following the latest disturbing incident, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) revealed there are “serious concerns” for the public’s safety after Reggie’s behaviour had “rapidly” changed.
Although dolphins can appear playful, they have sharp teeth, and even a gentle bite could cause serious injury to humans. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, when the dolphin is not given “due consideration and respect, interactions can escalate” which can potentially “result in injury or death for either party.”
Danny Groves, from WDC, told the Mirror: “There have been potential sightings more recently. When the dolphin first arrived in Lyme Regis, he was not habituated. He was initially seen around Lyme Regis late last year, though sightings were infrequent as he moved between various nearby locations.
“However, since remaining in the same area, his behaviour has changed rapidly – this is why we encourage swimmers and boat users not to interact with him. This often causes dolphins to become to used to human contact and puts them in danger of being hit by boats/propellers.
“What seems like a friendly bond is actually habituation – the dolphin changing their behaviour to fit a human presence. He is being habituated by people who insist on interacting with him, a process that happens through a number of stages and levels. Each stage is driven by how often and how closely people interact.
“Typically, it can take several months for a solitary dolphin to progress from stage 0 (no interaction with people or boats) to stage 4 (full interaction with people and boats), but the Lyme Regis individual has reached Stage 4 within a matter of weeks, which is now a cause for serious concern, both for the dolphin and for public safety.”
