The bottlenose in Lyme Bay has become a local celebrity – but experts warn human interaction could be putting everyone at risk
No one knows why Reggie, the solitary-sociable bottlenose dolphin, has chosen to linger alone in Lyme Bay, away from his pod or family group.
Lone cetaceans are rare in UK waters – Reggie is believed to be the 16th in 35 years – but young males do sometimes break away to live alone, probably explained by their fission-fusion society.
But now he is off Dorset, and his fate, marine experts say, lies in our hands.
Photographs and social media footage in recent weeks have left experts concerned for Reggie – reluctantly named by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for official identification purposes despite fears of anthropomorphism.
