When we think about dangerous marine creatures, most of us likely picture a great white shark circling an unsuspecting surfer or swimmer, but dolphins have also been known to attack humans on rare occasions. So does Flipper have a dark side?
Dolphins are fascinating creatures. There are 36 species of marine dolphins (including orca, which are often confused with whales) living in environments that range from the open ocean to coastlines and river estuaries, while there are four known species of river dolphins. They are notoriously intelligent and highly social predators that can reach speeds of up to 48 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour) for brief periods. But while we are accustomed to thinking of them as friendly and energetic aquatic mammals, dolphins have been responsible for multiple vicious and even fatal attacks on humans.
The Independent has recently reported the case of 28-year-old Claire Bye who was left fighting for her life after being attacked by a dolphin while swimming in a river in Santa Rosa de Yacuma, Bolivia. The dolphin, a pink river dolphin (also known as an Amazon river dolphin, the boot, or bufeo) allegedly bit hold of Claire’s foot and held it for 20 seconds before letting go, leaving her foot partially severed and “pouring with blood”.
Claire was then rushed to hospital where she received 32 stitches. However, her condition deteriorated four days later when she contracted a potentially fatal infection resulting in her being transferred to the capital La Paz for more treatment.
While it is clear that the infection was the bigger risk in this case, in another incident in April 2022, a 23-year-old dolphin attacked and attempted to drown its trainer during a live performance at Miami Seaquarium. Similarly, in 2019, a 10-year-old British girl was dragged underwater and attacked by two bottlenose dolphins while swimming at a holiday event in Cancun, Mexico. There are also notorious examples of orcas attacking humans while held in captivity, such as the incident at SeaWorld in 2010 where a trainer was killed in front of an audience.
Part of the problem is the public perception of dolphins as friendly and approachable creatures, which puts both them and humans at risk as they’re seen as playthings rather than intelligent and powerful hunters. Any wild animal can be dangerous if it feels threatened. Thankfully, attitudes to keeping these animals in captivity have been changing since the 1990s, but in many parts of the world, this exploitative practice continues.
Yet violent encounters between humans and dolphins are extremely rare, especially in the wild. Interestingly, there are no records of orcas ever hunting or killing humans outside of captivity. This is incredible given the number of chance encounters between our species and the ease at which these giant predators could overpower us. Not to mention that orcas are the only known predator to hunt and kill great white sharks.
Unfortunately, these marine mammals have more to fear from us than we do them. There is significant evidence that over 100,000 dolphins, small whales, and porpoises are killed each year by non-selective fishing methods or to be used as fishing bait. Most of these hunts are unregulated, illegal, and ultimately unsustainable.
Source Link: Flipper’s Dark Side – Are Dolphins Dangerous?