Nature expert and TV presenter Chris Packham has issued a warning to members of the public getting close to the country’s newest celebrity, Nick the Dolphin.
Nick the Dolphin rose to fame just 10 days ago when a video of him engaging with a number of swimmers and paddleboarders in Hayle Harbor in Cornwall.
The astonishing encounter first took place on the evening of Sunday, August 22.
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Nick, who has lived in the Isles of Scilly for the vast majority of the past 12 months, has recently returned to Cornwall and has been sighted in the south of the county in areas such as St Ives and Newquay.
But while seeing him playing with people was heartwarming and rare, concerns were raised about Nick’s well-being and the safety of people he connects with.
And now The Sun reports that naturalist and television author Packham has also warned that the sea creature could be dangerous.
He said: “Dolphins play with interesting things in the water and that can include people. They can become sexually aggressive and there is a chance that this dolphin will be loved and confused. Imagine that you got lost and found yourself in the middle of a herd of elephants.
Nick the Dolphin played with locals and tourists in Hayle Harbor (Image: Jo Quick)
“It would be quite confusing. It’s like Nick, surrounded by people, but dolphins are immensely powerful and therefore dangerous. “
Dan Jarvis, a resident of Hayle and a member of British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), has previously said that while it is easy to get carried away in the moment, Nick is still a wild animal and should be respected.
When asked what people should do if they found themselves approached by a dolphin, he issued a warning that they could transmit the potentially deadly salmonella bacteria to humans. He said, “The first reaction to you, a dolphin might come right away and be excitable. As you can see in Hayle’s videos, it’s super easy for people to get carried away and get excited. We need to remind people to have some common sense in their heads.
“They are mammals like us, they can give us illnesses, especially if they breathe out on the face, they breathe out mucus, they can transmit salmonella among other things.
“The best advice I can give is that people can absolutely love and respect dolphins, but from a distance. Ideally, get out of the water.
“If you’re on a boat, don’t do high speed turns around, that’s when they get hit.
“Don’t expect a dolphin to be smart. People will often say “if he wants to go, he will” and blame him if he is touched. “
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-09-01 20:38:52
