Idiotic tourists have ignored warnings to stay away from a viral bottlenose dolphin who could harm or even kill someone.
Adults and young children were spotted surrounding the solitary male dolphin, who was officially named Reggie, despite serious calls to avoid the mammal for their own safety and his.
Reggie captured hearts when he joined swimmers for an early morning dip this month, having become a frequent sight in Lyme Bay, Dorset.
He arrived at the area on his own in February, before suffering a nasty gash in July – an injury believed to have been caused by a boat propellor.
After footage of Reggie swimming with a family went viral, The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) held an emergency online event strictly warning people against contact wit the mammal.
Meanwhile, UK marine conservation charity ORCA said someone could even be killed by the dolphin if it becomes aggressive.
But despite the warnings, new footage has emerged showing ignorant tourists paddling next to Reggie – with young children seen in the water while adults sit on their boards.
Crowds of holidaymakers have flocked to the waters in recent weeks for a chance to get close to the dancing dolphin.
The new video, posted on Facebook, was captured on Friday evening and shows the animal circling around and swimming dangerously close to humans.
One commenter on the video warned the dolphin is probably showing an increased interest in people due to hunger.
‘When animals become interested in us it normally means they are hungry and malnourished and in search of food,’ they wrote.
Another person, who witnessed the tourists crowding around Reggie, wrote: ‘We went down last night and watched from the shore. We were shocked to see so many paddleboarders out there (around 20) and they were all following the dolphin and not leaving him alone.
‘Yes it’s magical for everyone to be up close but seriously have a word with yourselves.’
Liz Sandeman, co-founder of the Marine Connection Charity, previously warned the risk to humans will likely increase as Reggie continues to be surrounded by them.
‘This is the worst case of a dolphin becoming rapidly habituated to close human interaction in 20 years in the UK, with risks to the safety of the dolphin and people in the water with him likely increasing over time,’ she said.
Meanwhile, the MMO issued a similarly stark warning, telling the Mail the dolphin could already be habituated to humans – a change that ‘can be fatal’.
Jess Churchill-Bissett, head of marine conservation (wildlife) at MMO, said: ‘Repeated human interaction inevitably disrupt their natural behaviours, increasing stress and potentially altering their temperament.
‘Once habituated to humans, dolphins can lose their natural wariness, a change that can be fatal. This is something we could already be seeing in Lyme Bay.
‘They are also known to have become aggressive in cases and have attacked and injured people.’
The dolphin is believed to have arrived in February but from May, the MMO directly observed people intentionally approaching the mammal too closely.
Experts and cetacean charities agreed collectively to name the dolphin Reggie, the Mail previously revealed.
Describing the video of her family playing with the dolphin, Mrs MacDonald previously said: ‘Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action.
‘It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak.’
Bottlenose dolphins are native to Britain and there are estimated to be 700 around the coast, usually swimming in pods. They reach up to 13ft in length and can weigh up to 650kg.
Dolphins, along with whales and other porpoises, are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and approaching or recklessly disturbing a dolphin can result in up to six months in prison as well as an unlimited fine.
Lucy Babey, director of programmes for UK marine conservation charity ORCA, told the Mail that although dolphins may elicit fun and excitement on the surface, they pose a big risk to humans.
She said: ‘They are powerful marine mammals and have been known to seriously injure people, even if unintentionally through a thrash of the tail or butting people with their beak.
‘In some case the dolphins behaviour has escalated, become erratic and more serious injuries have occurred. There have been incidents around the world where the dolphin’s behaviour has escalated to harassment and people have unfortunately been killed.
‘Unfortunately these dolphins can become habituated through prolonged human interactions which increases the risk of injury and brings about welfare concerns for the animal. There are several cases where the dolphins sought out boats, associating them with humans, but sadly resulting in propellor injuries and death.’
