REGGIE THE DOLPHIN has become a regular visitor in waters off the south coast of England but swimmers have been told to stay clear of the animal.
Reggie the Dolphin has become a “local legend” this summer, entertaining swimmers with his lively, playful nature.
Earlier in August, footage of the bottlenose dolphin playing with humans in Lyme Bay, Dorset went viral.
The animal, known as “Reggie the dancing dolphin” has been spotted multiple times in the Lyme Bay area, first appearing in February 2025.
However, recent reports have since shown Reggie acting aggressively around swimmers.
Who is Reggie the dolphin?
Reggie is a bottlenose dolphin, a type of species that can measure up to four metres long and weigh around 500 kg.
The dolphin had become a regular in the Lyme Bay area by May with many swimmers purposely trying to purposely get close to him.
This has now been described as a huge risk, with a pair of kayakers having to save two women from the dolphin’s aggressive behaviour.
Rhys Paterson, one of the kayakers from Lyme Regis, told Dive Magazine: “We saved two swimmers who were fairly deep, where the dolphin kept on them.
“The dolphin was basically drowning this woman – it kind of jumped on her back four times.”
Rhys went onto explain how he got into the position to help the woman, he explained: “We had been following the dolphin for a little bit, because obviously it’s quite a local legend at the minute.
“But when we realised it wasn’t playing, it was quite a big shock. People need to understand that it’s not an amusement arcade. It’s a wild animal. It can snap all of a sudden.”
This worrying behaviour serves as a stern warning to stay clear from the wild dolphin, who people previously saw as friendly and playful.
Danny Groves, head of communications at Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), said: “People really shouldn’t jump in the water with solitary dolphins as it isn’t good for them or the dolphins.”
“When more people interact with a dolphin – or any wild animal – the animal starts to get used to humans and can lose their fear.
“This can lead to the dolphins becoming demanding and unpredictable, and it can be dangerous for both the dolphin and any humans in the water nearby.“
Groves offered a potential explanation to Reggie’s sudden change in behaviour, he said: “Most likely, his behaviour has escalated in reaction to the continuous harassment, with too many people in the water.”
