Dolphin encounters spark concern in Japan's coastal waters

There's been a lot of buzz online about frisky dolphins. These seemingly unassuming animals are attacking swimmers relaxing in the Sea of Japan. Among the victims is a child who had a close encounter with the mammal, resulting in a hospital stay. Are dolphins aggressive?

Dolphins are intelligent and social marine mammals known for their exceptional ability to communicate and cooperate in groups. They live in oceans and seas worldwide, and some species inhabit rivers. Dolphins communicate using sounds and echolocation, which helps them hunt fish and squid, among other things. They are also renowned for their curiosity, especially towards other species like humans. Their intelligence and playfulness make them some of the most fascinating marine animals.

Foreign media outlets have been abuzz about the frisky dolphins frequenting Japanese waters for the past three years. According to the BBC, up to 18 dangerous incidents involving these aquatic mammals have occurred this year alone. One of the victims was a boy who was bitten on the finger by a dolphin. The child needed stitches. Another foreign outlet, the New York Times, reports that last year, dolphins injured 21 people. One victim revealed that a seemingly friendly mammal bit her on the arm and then started to push her underwater because it wanted to climb onto her back.

Local authorities have decided to take matters into their own hands. They have deployed devices on the beaches that emit random sounds unpleasant to dolphins. The solution aims to deter curious mammals and prevent them from approaching swimmers.

Tadamichi Morisaka is a researcher specializing in dolphin ecology at Japan's Mie University in Tsu. In a comment to the scientific magazine Nature, he explained that dolphins express emotions completely differently. He stated that biting or pushing people underwater might signify affection. He also noted that most attacks were likely perpetrated by a single Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin. He could identify the animal thanks to recordings and photos of the mammal.