Public warned to keep away from injured dolphin filmed with Dorset swimmers

Conservationists flag dangers of human interaction after ‘Reggie’ filmed playing with family

The public has been warned to keep away from an injured dolphin that was filmed dancing and playing with swimmers off the coast of Dorset earlier this month.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), a government-backed agency responsible for England’s seas, said it was “increasingly concerned about a lone dolphin spotted in Lyme Bay, Dorset, following multiple potential marine wildlife disturbance offences observed online and shared on social media”.

The post showed an image of a bottlenose dolphin, who has been nicknamed Reggie, that appeared to have a gash on the right side of its torso beneath its dorsal fin, which it said was not part of a pod.

The dolphin appeared in a viral clip in early August in the bay alongside Lynda MacDonald, her partner, her son and his girlfriend as they were out for a swim. The dolphin bobbed in and out of the water, playfully engaging them and receiving belly rubs.