An aggressive dolphin attacked an elderly man off a Japanese beach, it was reported on Tuesday, August 15. The wild animal attack was caught on video and uploaded on social media and re-affirms previous warnings by experts that marine mammals can also be aggressive or defensive in the wild, even towards people.
The culprit behind the incident was apparently a bottlenose dolphin, which had a track record of harming humans in shallow waters.
Despite their cute and smiling appearance, wild dolphins are often mistaken for always being friendly to us. Instead, a paradigm shift regarding our understanding of dolphins shows that their portrayal in movies and shows is not always the case. In fact, experts have pointed out that dolphins are not at all smiling at us, but it is only due to the shape of their faces.
In recent years, there have been several recorded cases of dolphin attacks in the wild, particularly in coastal waters. In 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) even warned the public of an "aggressive dolphin" in the waters of North Padre Island, off the coast of Texas.
Japan Dolphin Attack
A stock photo of a dolphin. Recently, a dolphin attacked an elderly man off a Japanese beach.
In a video uploaded by the YouTube channel Akihiro Tada in August 2022, the beginning of the clip shows that beachgoers and paddlers noticing a dolphin swimming around the Japanese man. The marine animal made several attempts to attack the swimmer, who briefly went underwater until he resurfaced. One of the nearby paddlers came to the rescue of the man, surviving the incident.
Some of the commenters showed concern for the victim, but several YouTube users acknowledged that dolphins are by nature dangerous. According to the channel, the incident occurred on Takanosu beach in Fukui city, the capital of Fukui Prefecture, Japan.
Also Read: Bottlenose Dolphins Attack, Wound Four Japanese Swimmers; What Causes Stress In Dolphins?
Are Dolphins Friendly?
Forget "Free Willy" and other claims that dolphins are the counterpart of dogs when in the ocean as being man's best friend. The reality is that dolphins, which rarely attack and kill humans, are wild just like other animals in their habitats, especially when they are disturbed or threatened.
According to the NOAA Fisheries, dolphins should be treated with caution and respect since they are wild animals despite their reputation of being friendly, emphasizing that interactions between the sea mammals and people change their behavior for the worse.
Dolphin Attack Cases
The NOAA stated that dozens of bites have been reported where people are being pulled underwater. The U.S. government agency also debunked the "Flipper myth" about a friend wild dolphin that gave people the wrong idea in the first place.
Dolphins do not actively seek and hunt humans as their prey. However, the increased presence of humans in the world's oceans has led to a spike of interaction with the animal.
In July 2023, four swimmers sustained wounds after being attacked by a dolphin on a beach in Japan, according to local authorities. In 2014, a bottlenose dolphin attacked a man swimming off the coast of Ireland, where he was pulled underwater. Also in the same year, a woman sustained multiple injuries after being attacked by a dolphin in Ireland.
Related Article: NOAA Warns of Aggressive Dolphin Off Texas Coast; Swimming Children and Pets Reportedly in Danger