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(CNN) – As the Irish government returns the country to a strict national lockdown for six weeks, an unlikely story continues to make the never-ending Covid-19 headlines.
Fungie, a bottlenose dolphin, is not found on the picturesque coast of County Kerry in south-west Ireland, where it has lived at the entrance to Dingle Harbor since 1983.
Over the past 37 years, the wild marine mammal has become an Irish celebrity thanks to its friendly nature and love of people, with visitors coming from all over to take a boat out to the port of the small port town to see. closer.
But the Guinness World Record holder for the “longest recorded lone dolphin” has not been seen since last Thursday when he swam alongside a fishing boat, locals who helped coordinate the search for him told CNN.
Now they fear the worst.
“It’s totally out of place for him. The most he’s been missing for was four or five hours,” Jimmy Flannery, president of Dingle Dolphin Boat Tours, told CNN.
Flannery, who has been leading boat tours around Fungie for 33 years, had been coordinating daily search teams since the alarm was raised.
“He’s as close to a missing person as possible,” Flannery said. “We had 12 boats searching on Saturday, and on Sunday, divers from the Mallow Search and Rescue team did an exhaustive search of the coves and inlets where it would normally be seen. They also did a deep sea exploration sonar, but there was no trace . “
While the official search has now been called off, locals will continue to monitor any sign of the beloved dolphin “for as long as it takes.”
“Fungie is a part of all of our lives,” Flannery said. “We hope he has gone swimming on an adventure. We live in the hope that he can come back again.”
Flannery believes that the Covid-19 restrictions could have had an effect on playful people, as during the first Covid-19 lockdown in Ireland in March, April and May, non-essential ships were asked to stay out of the Water.
“For the first time in 37 years, Fungie had no company when the boats were no longer going out,” Flannery said. “He may have felt something was wrong. Maybe he thought the world is not the same place as before and just moved on.”
However, Fungie is about 40 years old, and Simon Berrow, chief scientific officer and acting CEO of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, said that male bottlenose dolphins have a life expectancy of between 30 and 40 years. He added that Fungie’s disappearance was to be expected.
“It was always going to be like this: Fungie would not show up one day, instead of being found dead in Dingle,” Berrow told CNN.
“Because of the great abundance of BND [bottlenose dolphins] off the west coast of Ireland we have relatively few strandings. I’m not sure why, but maybe they swim out to sea or sink when they die or are dying. It’s hard to tell, but it’s better this way.
“One thing is for sure, people will be looking for Fungie in the next few years and there may be a lot of ‘fake’ sightings, like Elvis, but his legacy will endure for a long time,” Berrow added.
An entire industry will now suffer without its star attraction. Pre-coronavirus in peak season, up to 12 ships operated daily trips, employing more than 50 people directly, Flannery said. And dozens more will be indirectly affected in hotels, guesthouses, pubs, restaurants and local shops, he added.
“It’s not good for us financially, but the concern right now is his whereabouts. It’s like losing a relative, this is our friend, our pet,” Flannery said.
Down the street at Dick Mack’s pub, Dingle native Finn MacDonnell said the news of Fungie’s disappearance is “pretty bleak.”
“People are in bad shape due to the announcement of the new level five lockdown [Ireland’s highest restriction announced on Monday] and now Fungie is gone, “MacDonnell told CNN.
“We have all grown up with him. We knew the day would come when he would no longer be here, but it’s probably all a bit more grim than we think given the current situation.”
This story was first published on CNN.com. The search for Fungie: Ireland’s beloved bottlenose dolphin who has disappeared after 37 years
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