Another person injured by Doolin dolphin

ANOTHER person was injured by Dusty, the dolphin in Doolin Harbour last Sunday.

Last week people were being warned about the dolphin following an incident the previous weekend but on Sunday evening another woman received injuries after being rammed by Dusty. At least four people have been injured by her in recent times.

The dolphin was named after Dusty Springfield, whose ashes were spread from the top of the Cliffs of Moher, just before the dolphin appeared in 2000. It has been around North Clare since then and in Doolin harbour for the last four years.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) have put up posters around Doolin warning about the hazards of swimming with her.

In a statement on its website the IWDG said; “IWDG drafted a poster recommending people do not swim with Dusty, but if they must then they should respect her as a wild dolphin and do not grab, lunge or chase after her. If she shows aggressive behaviour or is boisterous they should leave the water. This poster was approved by Clare County Council and 20 posters were distributed locally on Thursday morning. The local lifeguards were consulted and posters tied to the railings on the pier. The ferry boat operators working out of Doolin were especially grateful that someone was addressing this issue and an additional ten posters have been sent to Doolin so every vessel can display them.”

It said it was concerned that someone could be killed if the public’s behaviour does not change. “IWDG is very concerned that many visitors, especially in the summer, do not recognise the signals that Dusty sends out when she is not happy with their behaviour. Ignoring such signs or behaviour inappropriately has led on a number of occasions to aggressive interactions, with some people being severely injured.

“If this continues, it may lead to a fatality and there will be strong pressure to remove or destroy the dolphin. If you really are concerned about dusty you will not swim with her, or at least if you do, you show her the respect a dolphin is entitled to.”

IWDG spokesman Simon Berrow said that while many people swam safely with her in the past, her behaviour has changed now. “In fairness for everyone who has been rammed hundreds have swam with her and not been rammed. We don’t know why her behaviour has become more boisterous suddenly. Maybe it’s because there have been so many people there with the good weather, some people locally say it’s because she’s pregnant and its her hormones, but I’ve never seen any evidence of her being pregnant so I don’t believe that.”

While Dusty has been aggressive, he said the responsibility for safety lies with the public. “It’s a human management problem and Clare County Council recognise that now. It’s a case of trying to inform and manage people, and not try trying to blame the dolphin. At the end of the day it’s a wild creature, it’s not trained, it’s not a friendly dolphin as such. If you get in the water with a 10-foot, 300-kilo wild animal that’s capable of killing you there’s a risk. We’re warning people of the risk, so that if people do it, they do it with that knowledge.”

Joan Reilly of Doolin2Aran Ferries also called on people to stay away from the dolphin. “Dusty has had to deal with many visitors and many people trying to touch and grab her. She has also become territorial about the harbour steps and slipway. For this reason it would be in the best interest of the dolphin’s safety and swimmer safety if people watched the dolphin from the pier and rocks and did not enter the water.”
Lifeguards have started flying red flags when Dusty is in the water.