Summer’s nearly at its end, and if you’re headed to Japan and expecting to hit the beaches one last time before the leaves start turning colors, be aware you may come upon an… excitable dolphin.
Over 45 people have suffered injuries at the hands – or fins – of dolphins in Wasaka Bay in the past three years, and experts believe the reason could involve timing and circumstance.
Ryoichi Matsubara, directof of Fukui’s Echizen Matsushima Aquarium, believes that, in fact, the same dolphin may be the culprit in every single attack, and that it may be that he’s lonely and looking for a match during mating season.
Matsubara examined photos and videos of the attacks and said the dolphin can be seen trying “to press his genitals against people,” according to the New York Post.
Tadamichi Morisaka of Japan’s Mie University concurred with Matsubara’s assessment, telling the BBC, “It is reasonable to assume that it is the same individual, as the wounds on the tail fin are similar to those of the dolphins seen off the coast last year, and it is rare for dolphins, which normally move in groups, to be alone for such a long time.”
The bottom line: If you think you might encounter a horny dolphin during your day at the beach, maybe make a sandcastle instead of going for a dip.