Behind the seemingly friendly facade of dolphins, there lies their aggressive behavior that attacks other species, such as sharks and humans. One of the notable dolphin attacks this year is the incident at Miami Seaquarium on April 9, when a dolphin lunged three times at its trainer, causing injury and fear to everyone in the venue.
As people go to Padre Island for Memorial Day weekend, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warns of one dolphin wreaking havoc in the northern part of the area.
Beware of That Aggressive Dolphin
NOAA officials have identified the dolphin that has gone a bit pushy in the waters off North Padre Island, Yahoo! News reported. The agency said that biologists observed that the dolphin was showing signs of aggression in which it separates children from their parents and isolates pets swimming from their owners.
Experts believe that the aggressive behavior of dolphins could have stemmed from their interaction with humans who feed, swim, and play with them. The warning has been in place for more than a year now to remind the public to stay away from it.
NOAA says that the dolphin has become accustomed to humans and has always sought them out whenever there are boats and any form of interaction. Unfortunately, the dolphin damaged the boat, and officials are concerned about its safety.
They advise people to leave the dolphins alone and boaters to avoid stopping if the dolphin comes close. Likewise, swimmers are prohibited from swimming with dolphins as these friendly-looking marine mammals are still wild animals with unpredictable behavior. As of now, the dolphin is said to be in the last stage of its aggressive behaviors that target humans, pets, and boats.
Dolphins Are not Friendly All the Time
Dolphins are not friendly at all times, says the Wild Dolphin Project founder Denise Herzing, Ph.D. These marine mammals have their own needs and annoyances and show a continuum of behavior from being playful to aggression. Like many animals, they show aggression when being disturbed, and people should be aware to immediately spot the signs.
Herzing noted that humans have to learn to respect dolphins, especially when in their territory, as there may be times when they do not want humans in the water. At that point, humans should immediately get out to avoid aggressive confrontation.
Researchers from the Wild Dolphin Project identified the signs of aggression from dolphins. Males sync up their vocalizations and start jaw popping while females go inverted under their calf. However, the most common behavior among the two is when they open their mouth to send a signal of their aggressive behavior.
Things to Do If You See A Dolphin
The NOAA news release asks the public to avoid seeking out the aggressive dolphin on Padre Island for their own safety and the dolphin's welfare. However, if it is an inevitable interaction, NOAA said that the best thing to do is avoid stopping and slowly moving away by maintaining the course of speed.
They also advise to always keep hands and feet on the boat and never try to reach out to the marine mammal or pet them. The dolphin will eventually leave the boat and move out of the area. For swimmers, it is best to quickly leave the water as quickly as possible to avoid possible contact with the dolphin.
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