Sakina Juzar

Japanese authorities are warning beachgoers to stay away from dolphins, following recent reports of incidents around the animal biting the people, leaving a few with minor injuries upon contact. 

Among the warned crowd include swimmers in the prefecture of Fukui, after accidents happened close to the shore, within 10m. Local police are guarding the area and handing out leaflets containing information about the dangers of the attack. Additionally, signs are in place to warn the public against touching the dolphins. 

As a preventive measure, authorities have put out ultrasonic transmitters along the beaches. These devices will emit ultrasonic waves and are expected to put off the dolphins from swimming into the area. 

Police have also taken to twitter to warn the social media audience saying :

【野生のイルカには近づかないで】
7月24日福井市内の海水浴場で、遊泳中の男性が野生のイルカに手を噛まれ軽傷を負う事案が発生‼
イルカは、かわいいイメージがありますが、野生のイルカに安易に近づくと、噛まれて怪我をする等の事故にあうおそれがあります。
🐬目撃しても近づかないでください🐬

— 福井県警察 (@fukui_police) July 25, 2022

The Japan tourism promotion department added that “we understand that there are certain body parts where dolphins don’t like to be touched, like the tip of its nose and its back fin.”

Dolphins are generally friendly creatures and rarely attack, however, it is not uncommon. Scientists have suggested that ‘wild bottlenose,’ a species of dolphins, find swimming with humans stressful. 

This follows the recent attacks by monkeys in the residential area of the Ogori district of the western Japan city of Yamaguchi.

Read more: 58 injured in monkey attacks in Yamaguchi