Warning to boat owners after lone dolphin injured

The lone bottlenose dolphin's injuries are thought to have been caused by a boat propeller

Motorboat users have been urged to slow down and stay back from marine wildlife after a dolphin was found injured in waters off Devon.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) said the bottlenose dolphin which has been spotted regularly in Lyme Bay had been injured by what was thought to be a boat propeller.

The MMO said there had been an increase in reports of the lone dolphin in close physical interactions with people.

In response to this injury and other dolphins' dorsal fins being severely damaged in Cornish waters this week, the MMO has planned an online event on Thursday 14 August to invite the public to protect the mammals.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said it had seen evidence of multiple injured dolphins

Earlier this week Cornwall Wildlife Trust said it had received "shocking footage" from the Mevagissey to Fowey ferry crew which showed at least five dolphins with damaged dorsal fins, including two whose fins had been completely cut off.

A spokesperson for the trust said a vet examined the injuries and said they had most likely been caused by high-speed watercraft or propellers.

Whale and Dolphin Conservation reminded boat owners to go slow and not chase marine life

The MMO said its event would help people understand solitary dolphin behaviour, the dangers of human contact and how they could help protect the wild visitor.

One of the speakers, Liz Sandeman from Marine Connection, leads its solitary, sociable dolphin project.

She said: "When lone dolphins start spending time closer to shore, unquestionably their behaviour does change within months.

"They quickly become accustomed to humans and boats, losing their instinctive fear and caution, which could potentially put them at greater risk.

"Solitary, sociable dolphins represent a unique behavioural group that requires focused conservation efforts and this individual dolphin needs protection now more than ever."

A speaker from Whale and Dolphin Conservation will also be at the event and the organisation advised boat owners: "To avoid disturbance and harm to cetaceans and other marine mammals, the key take-home messages are: Go slow – stay back – don't chase."