The perilous appeal of Reggie the ‘friendly’ dolphin | Dolphins

No one is aware of why Reggie, the solitary-sociable bottlenose dolphin, has chosen to linger alone in Lyme Bay, away from his pod or household group.

Lone cetaceans are uncommon in UK waters – Reggie is believed to be the sixteenth in 35 years – however younger males do typically break free to dwell alone, most likely defined by their fission-fusion society.

But now he’s off Dorset, and his destiny, marine consultants say, lies in our arms.

Photographs and social media footage in current weeks have left consultants involved for Reggie – reluctantly named by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for official identification functions regardless of fears of anthropomorphism.

Headlines claimed he was “asking for belly rubs” as he surfaced close to swimmers.

“He’s not asking for belly rubs,” stated Liz Sandeman, co-founder of the Marine Connections charity, who has monitored solitary dolphins since 1989. “It makes him sound like a toy.”

Last week, reports suggested he was “trying to drown” two feminine swimmers after pushing them underneath water earlier than kayakers intervened.

“He was definitely not trying to drown people. If that dolphin wanted to drown someone, it could easily do it,” stated Sandeman. “Reggie is becoming more boisterous over the weeks. He’s a juvenile, he’s not adult. But he’s around 1,000lbs [454kg]. Over the coming months he will become larger. He will become powerful. He doesn’t really know the harm he could be doing to us in the water.

“So he’s definitely not being aggressive. And he’s definitely not a dangerous dolphin. The situation is becoming dangerous, for the swimmers and the dolphin. But he’s not a dangerous dolphin.”

The media hype over Reggie, she stated, “is the worst scenario I’ve seen for at least 25 years”.

Part of the issue is Reggie has turn into habituated too quickly, presumably as a result of Lyme Bay is a busy space for swimmers, kayakers and boats. In July, he was noticed with scars from a propeller strike.

Sonja Eisfeld-Pierantonio of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation charity stated: “What seems like a friendly bond is actually habituation – the dolphin changing his behaviour to fit a human presence.”

In the primary three phases of habituation, the dolphin is perhaps seen in numerous places, then set up itself, selecting a specific buoy or moored vessel to relaxation. It could begin to comply with boats, however will keep a distance from folks. It then could turn into accustomed to a small group of individuals and work together solely with them within the water.

Then there’s stage 4, which Reggie is definitely at. As the presence of a dolphin turns into identified, and it turns into a neighborhood vacationer attraction, it can enable bodily contact and swim with anybody. Typically, the method can take a number of months, in line with Eisfeld-Pierantonio, “but this individual has reached stage four within a matter of weeks – which is now a cause for serious concern, both for the dolphin and for public safety.”

She stated: “Although solitary, Reggie is still a wild animal and should be treated as such, not as an opportunity to interact with. These dolphins stop behaving like wild animals, because of humans insisting to interact with them. They might stop feeding naturally, take more risks, and get too close to dangerous situations. Sadly, most solitary sociable dolphins don’t survive long once fully habituated.”

Sandeman has seen it earlier than. In the summer time of 2018, Danny, a male bottlenose dolphin in Portland, Dorset, was killed by a ship he had turn into too accustomed to. “Time and time and time again, we’re losing solitary sociable dolphins. And no matter how many times we tell the public, they are just not listening, because they see it as a SeaWorld dolphin,” she stated.

The MMO stated it was conscious of the current footage circulating of Reggie being boisterous with swimmers. “Our messaging remains very much the same in that dolphins may at times seem friendly but are unpredictable wild animals. You should never intentionally approach, feed, swim with, or otherwise disturb them.

“Human interaction can cause dolphins to lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. Dolphins which are repeatedly disturbed by the presence of people are also known to become aggressive over time.

“We remind all water users to maintain at least 100 metres’ distance. If a dolphin chooses to approach you, you should in this situation maintain a steady course, leave the area, or simply leave the water.”