Water-safety authorities have issued new warnings about swimming with dolphins after an otherwise placid dolphin attacked a woman. She suffered two cracked ribs and required hospital treatment.
Clare County Council's water safety officer, Mr Liam Griffin, issued the warning yesterday after revealing details of the woman's injuries. She had been struck by "Dusty" while swimming with her at Fanore.
Dusty has been present at Fanore over the past three summers, having first come to public attention in the summer of 2000 off the coast at Doolin. Since then, the dolphin has attracted thousands of dolphin enthusiasts to a cove at Dereen West, one mile south of Fanore.
According to Mr Graham Timmins of irishdolphins.com, Dusty is exceptionally friendly and has been known to play with people for eight-hour periods without a break. She also plays with boogie boards and allows people rub her when she is in shallow water. Last month, Dusty presented a live salmon to one of her regular swimming companions at Fanore.
Dusty unexpectedly became aggressive, however, using her beak to ram the injured Galway woman in the chest and then continued to push her aggressively before the woman was able to get out of the water.
"That incident shows that swimming with the dolphin can be extremely dangerous," Mr Griffin said yesterday. "The council has placed a sign at the cove warning people that the area is extremely dangerous for bathing, but it is being constantly ignored."
Mr Griffin said that lifeguards from the nearby Fanore beach go up to the cove and blow their whistle, telling people to get out of the water. But, he said "they are wasting their time".
Mr Griffin said: "I was at the site on a recent Sunday and there must have been 60 people, including children, in the water with the dolphin. I was absolutely shocked."
The council's water-safety officer said: "The area where the dolphin swims is very deep and what if someone gets a cramp? There are numerous areas patrolled by council lifeguards within a short distance of the cove at Fanore, yet people continually ignore warnings not to swim with the dolphin."
Chairman of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), Dr Simon Berrow, said yesterday that the incident involving the woman being injured "was bound to happen". He added: "Dolphins are wild, unpredictable creatures, and people should be aware of that."
