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Fans of Ireland’s most famous dolphin can relax – reports of its disappearance have been greatly exaggerated.
Fungie is alive and in ‘good shape’, according to Dingle Sea Safari Tours and local fishermen.
Some people have been skeptical of Fungie’s apparent longevity, having entertained visitors and locals alike on the Dingle Peninsula for nearly 40 years.
It is not known how old he was when he first arrived in Kerry waters in 1983 and achieved celebrity status almost overnight, but the oldest dolphin ever recorded was 68 years old.
Concerns about Fungie’s well-being came up last Wednesday after he hadn’t been seen on his usual ground for a couple of days.
When the alarm was raised, search teams set out in hopes of locating the most famous tourist attraction in the region.
Local fisherman Paul Hand said he ran into Fungie in Dingle Bay and was “1,000% sure” it was him.
Hand said he had been looking at Fungie for years and when the dolphin swam alongside his boat on Thursday, “it was definitely him.”
The fisherman explained that a recent increase in the number of bottlenose dolphins was due to “the place being full of sprat”, and believes that instead of following the boats into the bay, Fungie decided to stay and feed on them as well.
Others, however, point out that Fungie is a lonely celebrity and may well have entered temporary ‘self-isolation’ to avoid the five or six dolphins who arrived in recent days to feast on sprats.
There is no doubt that Fungie is worth a significant amount in tourism revenue to the Dingle area each year, and its disappearance would make a huge dent in that, which certainly wouldn’t help in the current Covid-19 climate where tourism businesses are. fighting to stay. afloat.
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