He's Not a Toy Fears for the Lone Dolphin in Lyme Bay

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.

- Caroline Davies

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 about Reggie - reluctantly named by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) for official identification purposes despite fears of anthropomorphism.

Headlines claimed he was "asking for belly rubs" as he surfaced near swimmers.

"He's not asking for belly rubs," said Liz Sandeman, co-founder of the Marine Connections charity, who has monitored solitary dolphins since 1989. "It makes him sound like a toy."