On the beaches of an idyllic stretch of coastline in Japan, lifeguards are ready to call swimmers back to shore at the first glimpse of a fin. Sharp teeth displayed on signs warn bathers that there is danger in the water. No, these are not sharks. These are dolphins. Possibly just one lonely, sexually frustrated dolphin.
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In Wakasa Bay, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) west of Tokyo, dolphin attacks have injured at least 47 people since 2022. Many suffered minor bites to their hands, but some were taken to hospitals with broken bones or wounds requiring stitches.
In 2022, 21 people reported injuries from dolphin attacks on beaches near Echizen City, Fukui Prefectural Police said.
In 2023, attacks were concentrated on beaches near the town of Mihama. Ten people were injured; one man suffered fractured ribs.
Since July 21 this year, at least 16 people have been injured in dolphin attacks, mostly on beaches near Mihama and the nearby city of Tsuruga. Two suffered hand injuries that required dozens of stitches.
The motive for the attacks is unknown, but there are some theories.
For one thing, it could be a single dolphin. Ryoichi Matsubara, director of the Echizen Matsushima Aquarium in Fukui, said photos and videos of some of the 2022 and 2023 attacks appear to show the same male Indo-Pacific dolphin.
The dolphin may be engaging in mating behavior, he said, adding that in 2022 and 2023 it was observed trying to “press its genitals against people.”
But in many cases, swimmers were bitten when they approached or tried to touch the dolphin, Matsubara said. Putu Mustika, a professor and marine researcher at James Cook University in Australia, said the dolphin may be naturally aggressive and get upset when humans try to touch it.
In Fukui prefecture, authorities have installed dozens of underwater acoustic devices that emit a high-frequency noise designed to deter dolphins. They have posted signs and distributed leaflets warning swimmers that dolphins can bite or even drag swimmers out to sea.
Above all, they simply want people to stop trying to interact with the dolphins. “People would run away if it were a bear,” Matsubara said. “There is no difference between dolphins and bears in terms of destructive capacity.”
“Experts like us are afraid of them, but people who don’t know better think they are cute,” he added.
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