A video has been circulating online for a few days, outraging animal rights activists and more. We are in Hollandin the not really hot water of the sea before the pleasant Zandvoort. A topless woman sees a dolphin Swim a few steps from shore. The aquatic mammal is visibly frightened and disoriented, but the bather doesn’t care and actually doesn’t think for a moment, amused. Once the dolphin is next to her, the burly lady decides to climb on top of it and perch on the poor animal.
All around, the other bathers watched the scene in ecstasy, complete with hysterical screams, open stage applause and baiting. Luckily the dolphin is not tame and the woman fails in her resolve and, after repeated and unskillful attempts, falls into the sea several times. Scandalizing many users on Twitter is the fact that among the dozens present, only two boys tried to push her away, knowing full well that the woman’s joker would have seriously endangered the dolphin’s health and safety.
According to RTL, the (missed) trip could still cost the bather dearly, as the Dutch police have already launched an investigation to find out whether there has been a crime of cruelty to animals. The dolphins, emphasizes the local animal protection association SOS Dolfijn, “They should be in the North Sea, they are deep sea animals. These animals do not survive well in such waters. They look for food at a depth of two or three kilometers.” After all, these are also indicators of a general malaise on planet earth.