Photo/Illutration A sign warns beachgoers against petting dolphins at beaches in Fukui Prefecture. Dolphin sightings are not rare as some migrate to the Sea of Japan while others live there year-round. Photo taken on July 26, 2022 (Keibu Horikawa)

A 10-year-old boy suffered serious injuries to his right hand after he was bitten by a dolphin while swimming at a beach in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture.

He was taken to a hospital where he received 20 to 30 stitches.

The fifth grader from Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, was bitten on the middle and ring fingers around 5:15 p.m. on Aug. 3.

The incident at Tanoura Beach on the east coast of the Tsuruga Peninsula marked the third instance since late July of a dolphin attacking a swimmer.

Officials said the boy was playing with his family when he noticed a dark shape approaching him in the water. He was frantically trying to reach the shore when he was bitten.

On July 21, a junior high school boy was bitten by a dolphin at Shiraki Beach in Tsuruga, which is located on the north coast of the peninsula.

On July 26, a man in his 20s received minor injuries when he was bitten on his finger and hand at Takenami Beach in Mihama on the west coast of the peninsula.

The Tsuruga Coast Guard is urging people not to approach dolphins if they come across them, and to get out of the water immediately.

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