Renewed warnings were issued yesterday against people trying to swim with a wild dolphin at Doolin, Co Clare, after a fourth report of a person being injured at the weekend by the dolphin known as “Dusty”.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has erected warning posters at Doolin pier since an incident on July 19th.
Group co-ordinator Dr Simon Berrow said: “It is our policy to discourage people swimming with whales and dolphins in Ireland. We’ve drafted a poster recommending people do not swim with Dusty, but if they must, then they should respect her as a wild dolphin and not grab, lunge or chase after her. If she shows aggressive behaviour or is boisterous they should leave the water.”
The dolphin appears to have become territorial about the slipway and steps at Doolin. Authorities say people should only watch the dolphin from the pier and the rocks and should not enter the water.
Clare water safety development officer Liam Griffin said: “People continue to ignore repeated warnings about swimming with the dolphin in Doolin. You can never be sure how the dolphin will react. It’s best to stay away from her because people have been injured in the past.”
In the most recent incident, a woman was charged by the bottlenose dolphin as she left the water after a swim. The dolphin is believed to have struck the woman in the kidney area, knocking her over and leaving her winded.
The alarm was raised at about 10pm on Sunday. The local unit of the Coast Guard responded to the incident while an ambulance was also requested.
Treated at the scene
The woman was treated at the scene by Coast Guard first responders. She was then taken by a HSE ambulance to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick. She was badly bruised and shocked by the incident.
The dolphin, thought to be about 14 years old, first appeared at Doolin pier in 2011, but had been in the Fanore area of north Clare for some years before that.
The 10ft-long mammal has been responsible for injuring a number of people over the past two years with several of those being hospitalised with significant injuries.
Less than a fortnight ago, a woman (40) was struck in the abdomen by the dolphin while swimming near the pier.
It’s now policy for the local lifeguards to fly the red danger flag when the dolphin enters the area.