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‘Jack the Flipper’ Dolphin Filmed Killing Shark in Cardigan Bay

Marine experts are investigating the motive behind the rare shark attack to assess its implications for local dolphin behavior.

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Overview

  • Veteran dolphin watcher Sarah Michelle Wyer initially named the individual Anakin before the media dubbed it Jack the Flipper
  • Three months ago the same dolphin killed a juvenile common dolphin in the first recorded porpicide in Cardigan Bay
  • Footage from last week shows the dolphin targeting a smooth-hound shark, a species scarcely documented in bottlenose diets
  • The dolphin remains at large off New Quay, and experts are analysing whether its actions reflect predation or play
  • Conservationists fear that these unprecedented incidents may contribute to a decline in common dolphin sightings in the region