Tokyo — Authorities in central Japan are urging beachgoers to avoid dolphins after a sharp increase in bite incidents, with an expert saying the culprit may be a single overly playful individual. This year has so far seen 18 swimmers bitten at several beaches in the Fukui region, according to the local Tsuruga Coast Guard, which recorded just a handful of dolphin-related injuries in each of the past two years.
Most of the bites were minor – some were little more than scratches – but in one recent incident, an elementary school child ended up requiring 20 to 30 stitches, Coast Guard official Shoichi Takeuchi told AFP.
At Suishohama Beach, also known as “Diamond Beach,” a local tourist association is urging vigilance, issuing warnings on its website and handing out flyers advising people not to approach or touch the animals.
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“Dolphins are usually calm creatures, but they can make you bleed by biting you with sharp teeth, dragging you under water and, in the worst case, threatening your life,” the association warns online.
The Coast Guard said it was unclear whether a single dolphin was behind the incidents or whether there were multiple perpetrators.
However, one expert believes that a rogue dolphin could be responsible for the incidents, given identifying features such as its dorsal fin and scars.
“It is probably the work of the same individual,” Tadamichi Morisaka, professor of cetology at Mie University, told broadcaster NHK. “Instead of trying to harm people, it could be trying to interact with people the way it does with other dolphins.”