In the past few months there have been reports of dolphins "attacking" humans that have come to interact with them. The latest are those of a 12 year old girl, a 34 year old woman, a 26 year old mother of two, and a 10 year old boy. All of these victims were not seriously injured, but were very frightened by their experience.
Dolphins, as well as other mammals, have a natural instinct regarding eating, mating, and social interaction. By humans coming into the world of dolphins they may interrupt the dolphins routine. This may be distressing to the dolphins, which may show this by attempting to get the human to flee, as they would with anything else they see as a threat.
According to the research department at Sea World in Ohio, male dolphins may become aggressive toward a human female when they sense the hormones that are released in the female human body prior to menstruation. Out of the 24 reported cases of "dolphin aggression" in the last 5 years, 22 were directed toward females that were of an age to experience monthly menses. The other two were younger boys, and it is thought that the young boys may have been too aggressive themselves in interacting with the dolphins, or may have been afraid. Another theory of why dolphins attack males is simple, and may be deemed as "natural". The dolphins would interact with the males, and then, at the time for the interaction to cease, the dolphin would attempt to keep playing by keeping the male in the water with them.
Dolphins have the capabilities of "sensing" fear, as well as varied "emotions" exhibited by both humans and other mammals. There are numerous reports of humans being "rescued" by dolphins when they become distressed in oceans or bays. The dolphins do this by sensing the fear and distress in the human and then attempting to assist them to safety. The dolphins will grab one of the human's limbs, usually a lower limb, and pull them in the direction of the shore or shallow water. Dolphins may also push the human with their snout. Not knowing their own strength in relation to the human, these rescuing techniques may cause injury, especially if the human struggles or fights back.
In addition, a majority of the cases of "dolphin aggression" occur in captive settings. Places such as "Dolphin Encounter" (http://www.wun-sentinel.com/showtime/des... and "Coastal Living, (http://www.coastallivingmag.com/destinat... offer travel packages that include personal interaction with dolphins. Places such as these that allow a person to "swim with the dolphins" are a dream come true for those that love dolphins and wish to learn more about them on a personal level. However, before making arrangements with any such place, research should conducted. A facility that offers one hour interaction time limits, a trainer in the water with the visitor when interacting with the dolphin, and classroom type learning BEFORE allowing anyone to interact is one that will be safe, and allow for the best experience.
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