Kyodo News reported on August 26 that dolphin attacks on people at beaches in central Japan have been on the rise since 2022, with experts warning that Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins may be becoming more aggressive.
On Tuesday, an 18th case of dolphin-related injury was reported at a beach in Fukui Prefecture. This included a young elementary school student who required 20 to 30 stitches on a finger and is expected to take a month to recover, according to the Tsuruga Coast Guard Office.
The number of dolphin attacks has increased sharply this year compared to the past two years, with at least one injury reported in 2022 and five in 2023, according to the coast guard.
On the same Tuesday, a man in his 50s sustained injuries to both hands after being bitten by a dolphin while swimming near Mizushima Island in Tsuruga City. This was the second consecutive day that an incident occurred at the same beach.
Additionally, on August 13, a man in his 40s sustained minor injuries after being bitten on his right thumb and left foot at Shiraki Beach, also in Tsuruga City.
Tadamichi Morisaka, a professor of zoology at Mie University, noted that the dorsal fin of a dolphin seen at the same beach recently matched the fin of a 2.5-meter-long dolphin spotted off the coast of Fukui Prefecture last year.
“Dolphins may be coming to the beach where people are swimming,” Morisaka said.
While dolphins in aquariums often bond with humans, frequent interactions with people in the wild can lead them to assert dominance through behaviors like biting and ramming, Morisaka added. He advised that in such situations, people should “immediately distance themselves from the dolphin.”
Ryoichi Matsubara, director of the Echizen Matsushima Aquarium in Sakai, Fukui Prefecture, warned that some dolphins are larger than bears, and “handling them can be dangerous, as it might be too late to protect oneself if a serious accident occurs.”
Generally, touching dolphins is prohibited under government regulations. However, Fukui Prefecture officials stated that they currently have no plans to take further action in response to the recent incidents.
Some beaches have started installing ultrasonic devices to deter dolphins, while swimmers are being warned to exit the water immediately if dolphins are spotted near the shore.
