Experts say the same dolphin may be responsible for a series of attacks in Japan.
A “lonely and sexually frustrated” dolphin is believed to be behind a series of attacks on bathers in JapanThe attack took place in Wakasa Bay, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) west of Tokyo, The New York Times reported. The attack left more than 45 people injured and was reported to have occurred near the towns of Echizen and Mihama.
Ryoichi Matsubara, director of the Echizen Matsushima Aquarium in Fukui, after reviewing footage of the 2022 and 2023 attacks, said it was the same male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin. However, he did not see the recent videos and photos.
The dolphin may be displaying mating behavior, he said, noting that it was seen trying to “press its genitals against people” in 2022 and 2023. However, he added that many injuries occurred when bathers approached or tried to touch the dolphin.
Putu Mustika, a marine researcher at James Cook University in Australia, told the Independent that mating dolphins can be “very wild”.
He said that lunging at a human could be a sexual act and a sign that the dolphin was “horny and lonely.”
Ms Mustika said the dolphin can be naturally aggressive and get irritated when people try to touch it.
Authorities have warned people to avoid approaching the dolphins. They have reportedly installed underwater acoustic devices that emit high-frequency sounds to keep the dolphins away and have posted warning signs and distributed leaflets warning swimmers that the dolphins may bite or drag bathers into the sea.
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