The shocking incident was caught on camera last Thursday off the coast of Dorset as the swimmer screamed she was ‘scared to death’ when a dolphin jumped on her back
Kayakers claim they were forced to rescue swimmers when a bottlenose dolphin started to “drown” two women.
Reggie went viral when he joined swimmers for an early morning dip earlier this month after becoming a frequent sight in Lyme Bay, Dorset. He turned up in February but recently suffered an injury thought to have been caused by a boat propeller.
UK marine conservation charity ORCA says dolphins can kill if they become agressive – and warned people to stay away from them. Now kayaker, Rhys Paterson, 32, said he had to intervene, along with another boater, after the dolphin began jumping on top of a woman.
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The dolphin pushed her head repeatedly under the water as she swam off the beach in Lyme Regis last Thursday. Footage shows her moments later exclaiming: “It scared me to death! Oh my goodness!”
Rhys, a development director from Lyme Regis, said the incident was not the only confrontation and the dolphin appeared to be “targeting women in wetsuits”. “We saved two swimmers who were fairly deep, where the dolphin kept jumping on them,” he said.
“The dolphin was basically drowning this woman – it kind of jumped on her back four times.” Describing how he and his brother, Gareth, came across the scene, Rhys said: “We had been following the dolphin for a little bit, because obviously, it’s quite a local legend at the minute.
“But when we realised it wasn’t playing it was quite a big shock. People need to understand that it’s not an amusement arcade. It’s a wild animal. It can snap all of a sudden if it wants to.”
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) last week warned the public to keep away from the lone dolphin, which it believed was injured. A spokesperson said: “We’re increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay, Dorset, following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media.
“Dolphins may seem friendly, but they are wild animals. The dolphin in Lyme Bay has already been injured by a suspected boat propeller.
“Please remember: Never swim with, touch, feed, or approach dolphins. If a dolphin approaches you, calmly leave the area.
“Human interaction can cause dolphins to lose their natural wariness, leading to injury or even death. Disturbed dolphins are also known to become aggressive toward people. Let’s protect them by keeping our distance and please share this message to respect their space.”