Fungie the dolphin was first sighted off the coast of Dingle in Country Kerry, Ireland, back in 1983. Now he has been officially named by Guinness World Records as the longest-living solitary dolphin on record.
He will (we assume) have absolutely no idea of this prestigious award but nevertheless, congrats, you lonely ol' LAD.
Fungie has become a much-loved symbol of the region among both locals and tourists and is believed to have been living in the area as recently as September 2019.
Advert
It is estimated that he is at least 40 years old - impressive, but we can't get away from the fact that this is a long time to spend alone.
However, bottlenose dolphins are by far the most likely cetaceans to 'go solo', representing 78 of the 114 recorded individuals.
The announcement comes off the back of a 2019 report documenting solitary whales and dolphins across the globe, which was published by Marine Connection.
Advert
Fungie narrowly beat another Atlantic bottlenose dolphin named JoJo, who resides in the waters off Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos islands in the Caribbean.
It is believed that JoJo has also been leading a solitary lifestyle since the 1980s, however, precise dates when JoJo arrived and settled there are debated.
Personally, I would probably prefer to be in the Caribbean than off the coast of Ireland, but maybe that's just me.
Featured Image Credit: PA
