Tokyo — Authorities in central Japan are urging beachgoers to avoid dolphin bites after a sharp rise in incidents. One expert believes the culprit may be an overly playful individual. This year, 18 beachgoers have been bitten at several beaches in the Fukui region, according to the Tsuruga Coast Guard, which has recorded only a few 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 required 20 to 30 stitches, coast guard official Shoichi Takeuchi told AFP.
At Suishohama Beach, also known as “Diamond Beach,” a local tourism association is urging vigilance, posting warnings on its website and distributing leaflets advising people not to approach or touch the animals.
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“Dolphins are generally calm creatures, but they can make you bleed by biting you with their sharp teeth, drag you underwater and, in the worst case, threaten your life,” the association warns online.
The coastguard said it was unclear whether a single dolphin was behind the incidents or whether there were multiple culprits.
However, one expert believes a lone dolphin may have been responsible for the incidents, given its identifiable features, such as its dorsal fin and scars.
“It is probably the work of the same individual,” Tadamichi Morisaka, a professor of cetology at Mie University, told NHK broadcaster. “Instead of seeking to harm humans, it may seek to interact with them as it does with its fellow creatures.”
