By MASATOMO NORIKYO/ Staff Writer
August 14, 2025 at 14:51 JST
In June, authorities in Fukui Prefecture temporarily captured the dolphin suspected of biting dozens of beachgoers to collect DNA samples and attach a tracking device. (Masatomo Norikyo)
The carcass of a dolphin believed to have bitten more than 50 swimmers along beaches in Fukui and Ishikawa prefectures was found drifting off the region’s coast, local authorities reported.
According to Fukui Prefecture, a local fisherman spotted the carcass off the northern coast of the Tsuruga Peninsula on Aug. 13.
Officials later confirmed that the dead dolphin matched the description of the one involved in a series of biting incidents in the prefecture between 2022 and 2024.
The marine mammal, identified as an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, gained notoriety for its aggressive behavior that injured at least 53 swimmers, according to an investigation by The Asahi Shimbun.
In response to the attacks, the prefecture temporarily captured the dolphin in June and attached a tracking device to its dorsal fin.
However, tracking of the dolphin was lost after July 1, when both signal transmissions and sightings ceased.
Authorities say they will work with marine experts to investigate the cause of death.
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