The couple Regie and Knud Friis were on their way from Marselisborg harbour in Aarhus to Skødshoved in a rubber dinghy in perfect weather. To their great surprise, a dolphin suddenly appeared and clearly took a liking to the rubber dinghy. However, the initial enthusiasm was quickly followed by discomfort when the animal started bumping the boat in its playful instinct.
Enthusiasm turned into fear
"We felt a bit like we were in 'Jaws'. The dolphin showed great interest in us. It swam behind the boat and also dived underneath it, partially lifting the boat so that we started surfing," Knud Friis tells the Aarhus Stiftstidende and adds: "It was great fun at first, but gradually we became afraid of what the dolphin might do. It seemed as if his hormones were getting the better of him. The animal became increasingly lively, and although it probably just wanted to play, it could have easily thrown us out of the little rubber boat."
After the inflatable boat was even pushed on its own axis, they called the Danish Joint Rescue and Coordination Centre (JRCC) for help. The astonished professionals passed the emergency call on to the volunteers from Nordfalcken, who are based in nearby Egå. Their first suggestion was to stop and remove the electric outboard motor from the water to make it uninteresting for the dolphin. When that didn't help either, the rescuers rushed to the rescue with a RIB. The frightened couple were overtaken and the dinghy was taken in tow.
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Dolphin "Skywalker" regularly visits Aarhus Bay
According to Mads Thøger Jensen from Nordfalcken, the playful dolphin is an old acquaintance who became known as "Skywalker". "During the summer months, it was spotted several times and competed with a 49er skiff, among others. It has also swum close to the bathing inhabitants of Aarhus. However, these beautiful animals are not completely harmless. Weighing in at 200kg, the marine mammals can also cause mischief when in a playful frenzy."
