Horrific tale of only human to be killed by dolphin as urgent UK warning issued
A serious warning has been issued to Brits, decades on from the one occasion where a dolphin killed a human.
Bottlenose dolphin Reggie has made headlines recently after playing with a family off the coast of Lyme Bay, Dorset.
The seemingly wholesome video went viral online, as he looked to join the humans for an early morning swim earlier this month.
But this wasn't as innocent as it seemed, with experts now warning people to stay away from Reggie, as the dolphin tends to gravitate towards women.
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While he's been settled in the area since February, UK marine conservation charity ORCA has told people to stay clear.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) admitted that there are worries over public safety following the dolphin's change in behaviour.
If the sea animal isn't given its 'due consideration and respect, interactions can escalate', as the WDC say this can ‘result in injury or death for either party’.
Kayaker Rhys Paterson admitted he had to intervene as Reggie apparently targeted 'women in wetsuits.
He recalled: "We saved two swimmers who were fairly deep, where the dolphin kept jumping on them.
"The dolphin was basically drowning this woman - it kind of jumped on her back four times."
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has also warned the public to stay away, with the dolphin's 'rapid' change in behaviour shocking experts.
Its erratic behaviour and trust for humans mirrors that of Tião, a dolphin who was known in the 1990s for his fondness for people.
He would interact with people in the pier in São Sebastião, Brazil, every day.
The BBC would report that locals tried grabbing onto his fin to get a ride, while others cruelly put ice cream sticks into his blowhole.
A 1997 paper published in Marine Mammal Science read: “The dolphin reacted aggressively when repeatedly harassed and injured about 29 bathers, who were sent to the hospital with minor injuries,
“On 8 December, 1994, 'Tião' struck a 30-year-old bather who died several hours later from internal bleeding due to a stomach rupture, according to 'Casa de Saúde Stella Maris', the local hospital.”
It was reported by the Los Angeles Times that swimmers were trying to ride the dolphin and attach objects to Tião's tail before he reacted.
The shocking incident resulted in a management program being developed to stop further injuries or deaths, by educating the public on harmful interactions.
No further dolphin-related human deaths have been reported, as Tião left São Sebastião the following year, never to be seen again.
While dolphin attacks aren't rare, this still remains as the only time on record where one has killed somebody.
Killer whales, aka orcas, may be the biggest dolphins out in our seas, but they rarely attack humans compared to other species such as the bottlenose.
Joshua Nair