Sir, Further to your article “Banished dolphin finds solace - and a scratch with the Penlee lifeboatmen” (Sept 20 ), we currently have bottlenose dolphins around the UK showing two distinct types of behaviour.

The majority are living a normal wild life and are typically seen in groups. A few, including perhaps the dolphin known as Findol, choose instead to seek to associate with people. This unusual behaviour is the result of a process of socialisation (“taming”) and follows intense interaction between people and dolphins that for some reason have become solitary. It is our great enthusiasm to get into the water with such animals (as swimmers or in small boats) that over time creates animals that seek social interaction with our species.

This causes very significant problems. Many of these “solitary sociable” dolphins - which seem to be increasing in number worldwide - die as a result of their unusual behaviour (including two in the UK in 2006) and usually because they are struck by propellers.

There is a risk to human admirers, too, because while the interactions of these dolphins with us are mainly very measured and we rarely get hurt, solitary sociables (including those known in the UK) can be very physical with people in the water and they may even try to keep swimmers in the water with them when the people want to leave, or take swimmers out of their depths.

The risks are very high for dolphins and for their human admirers, and the conclusion must be that it is best if dolphins do not become socialised in the first place.

MARK SIMMONDS

International Director of Science, Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society

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