Idiotic tourists crowd round Reggie the dancing bottlenose dolphin ignoring warnings to stay away for both their safety AND his after he was hit by propeller

Daily Mail​

12 hours ago

Idiotic tourists have ignored warnings to stay away from a viral bottlenose dolphin who could harm or even kill someone.
Adults and young children were spotted surrounding the solitary male dolphin, who was officially named Reggie, despite serious calls to avoid the mammal for their own safety and his.
Reggie captured hearts when he joined swimmers for an early morning dip this month, having become a frequent sight in Lyme Bay, Dorset.
He arrived at the area on his own in February, before suffering a nasty gash in July, which is believed to have been caused by a boat propellor.
After footage of Reggie swimming with people went viral, The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) held an emergency online event to strictly warn people against contact wit the mammal.
Meanwhile, UK marine conservation charity ORCA said someone could even be killed by the dolphin if it becomes aggressive.
But despite the warnings, new footage has emerged showing ignorant tourists paddling next to Reggie - with young children seen in the water while adults sit on their boards.
Crowds of holidaymakers have flocked to the waters in recent weeks for a chance to get close to the dancing dolphin.
The new video, posted on Facebook, was captured on Friday evening and shows the dolphin circling around and swimming dangerously close to humans.
The tourists have ignored warnings to stay away from the viral bottlenose dolphin who could harm or even kill someone
One commenter on the video warned the dolphin is probably showing an increased interest in people due to hunger.
'When animals become interested in us it normally means they are hungry and malnourished and in search of food,' they wrote.
Another person, who witnessed the tourists crowding around Reggie, wrote: 'We went down last night and watched from the shore. We were shocked to see so many paddleboarders out there (around 20) and they were all following the dolphin and not leaving him alone.
'Yes it's magical for everyone to be up close but seriously have a word with yourselves.'
Liz Sandeman, co-founder of the Marine Connection Charity, warned: 'This is the worst case of a dolphin becoming rapidly habituated to close human interaction in 20 years in the UK, with risks to the safety of the dolphin and people in the water with him likely increasing over time.'
The MMO has issued a similarly stark warning, telling the Mail the dolphin could already be habituated to humans - a change that 'can be fatal'.
Jess Churchill-Bissett, head of marine conservation (wildlife) at MMO, said: 'Repeated human interaction inevitably disrupt their natural behaviours, increasing stress and potentially altering their temperament.
'Once habituated to humans, dolphins can lose their natural wariness, a change that can be fatal. This is something we could already be seeing in Lyme Bay.
Marine Management Organisation have shared concerns for the safety of the sea creatures and urged tourists to stay away from the animals in a recent Facebook post
'They are also known to have become aggressive in cases and have attacked and injured people.'
The dolphin is believed to have arrived in February but from May, the MMO directly observed people intentionally approaching the mammal too closely.
Experts and cetacean charities have agreed collectively to name the dolphin Reggie, the Mail can reveal.
Describing the video of her family playing with the dolphin, Mrs MacDonald previously said: 'Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action.
'It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak.'
Bottlenose dolphins are native to Britain and there are estimated to be 700 around the coast, usually swimming in pods. They reach up to 13ft in length and can weigh up to 650kg.
Dolphins, along with whales and other porpoises, are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and approaching or recklessly disturbing a dolphin can result in up to six months in prison as well as an unlimited fine.