Farewell to Fungie, Ireland's most beloved Dolphin

Ageeva

Jedi
It seems that this is the moment many knew would come but were dreading at the same time.

Fungie, the common bottlenose Dolphin who first befriended local fishermen in Dingle Bay in southwest Ireland back in 1983 and made it his home, has gone missing. Local fishermen and those who organized boat trips for visitors to see him say that the longest Fungie has gone missing in those 37 years has been a few hours at the most. It's been over a week now and the large search operation has been called off due to bad weather.

Fungie Swimming.jpg

Fungie was never a dolphin in captivity. He was always free to leave Dingle Bay and live as he wished with other dolphins. But, for whatever reason, he preferred human company to that of other dolphins. He had become so famous that books have been written about him, documentaries filmed and there's even a bronze statue of him at the seafront in Dingle town (Daingean Uí Chúis). Over those years he was known to have interacted playfully with swimmers, surfers, kayakers and divers in the water and there's no recorded case of him ever acting aggressively with humans. He brought a lot of joy to many and I had the pleasure myself seeing him swimming and jumping in Dingle Bay.

What happened? Well, he is at least 37 years old, possibly 45 as some experts say, so he was certainly a senior citizen in dolphin years. So the most likely explanation is that he was coming to the end of his natural and long life and perhaps swam out into the deep Atlantic Ocean when he sensed the time was near. It's particularly heartbreaking for the fishermen he first befriended but such is the widespread affection for Fungie that the whole country is saddened by, what seems now, the final chapter in the extraordinary life of this unique 2D friend.

So, farewell Fungie, and thanks so much for the joy you brought to so many. I hope the human company you freely chose for many years has made you a candidate for the next level of consciousness and learning. It's more that you deserve. 🐬❤️:hug2:
 
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