A man's early morning swim turned into a harrowing experience when a dolphin reportedly attacked him in Mihama, Fukui prefecture's Suishohama beach, on Sunday.
The marine mammal continuously slammed into him, bit his hand, and left him with injuries including broken ribs. This attack happened some five meters away from the shoreline.
The victim, who is in his 60s and is now receiving medical treatment at a hospital, is among regular summer guests who visit Mihama from nearby Japanese provinces.
It was just one of a series of dolphin attacks reported at the beach that day in which four individuals fell prey to the assault.
According to local police, three other individuals were injured at the same locations during the day, and the number of dolphin attacks in Mihama since wild dolphins showed up in May has reached six. The authorities urged vacationers to avoid getting too close to the animals.
During the previous year, a wave of dolphin bite attacks rattled Koshino Beach, located near Fukui City in Japan, adjacent to Mihama. These events happened the same weekend, with six reported cases in 2022, including two incidents on a single day.
While dolphins are typically known for their friendly and playful nature towards humans, there have been occasional incidents of aggressive behavior. In 2013, Dusty, a popular female bottlenose dolphin used as a mascot that attracts tourists in Doolin, Ireland, struck and wounded two women.