SIDELINES: Fungie the dolphin had Irish eyes smiling

SOMETIMES animals can count on getting special credit for good deeds which exist only in the minds of their owners.
The doting owner of a fussed and pampered cat of my acquaintance claims that her cat likes to sit on the lawn and enjoy the company of the little birds.
"She doesn't take her eyes off them," she says, as if this is some proof of a friendly bond between the creatures.
When a bird fell to the ground, stunned after flying into a window, the cat dived on it.
The owner insisted its intention was to revive to bird with mouth to mouth.
Somehow the suspicion arises that Moko, the recently departed and fondly remembered dolphin, might be enjoying some not entirely warranted praise.
The story of Moko delivering a fish for breakfast will ring a bell with any cat owner whose pet has left a dead rat on the doorstep or brought a still struggling mouse inside.
Observers have also suggested dolphins bunting other sea creatures or stopping people from leaving the water are displaying their dominance rather than guiding them to safety or looking for a playmate.
While not common, solitary dolphins seeking out human company are not rare.
Nearly a hundred have been recorded.
Ireland has had more than its share.
Their wandering dolphins seem to display an amazing knowledge of the alphabet and Irish place names.
Over the years they have displayed a liking for alliteration. Dusty the dolphin arrived at Doolin and move to Doreen.
Dony the Dunquin dolphin was a traveller. He moved on to Dorset and was seen in Dinteloord in Holland.
The lighthouse keeper of Dingle Bay witnessed the comings and goings and the growing popularity of Ireland's most famous dolphin.
In 1984 a fisherman on a boat based in the bay was one of the first to notice it was the same dolphin regularly tagging along.
As it happened, the fisherman was in the early stages of growing a beard. Consequently, he had acquired the nickname Fungus.
By association, the new visitor to the bay became known as Fungus' dolphin, eventually to become Fungie the dolphin.
He occupied the bay for more than 20 years, regularly escorting fishing boats from the entrance.
In that time he was the attraction for hundreds of thousands of tourists.
As many as 15 or 20 power boats loaded with expectant sightseers could cruise the bay in the hope of attracting his attention. Deep and cold water and strong currents meant only the really keen ventured into the water with him to seek closer contact.
As always, some insisted the visit had a mystic purpose ... a dolphin messenger from the Pleiades star system, come to save the world.
The Dingle Bay lighthouse keeper, Paddy Ferriter, gave an admirably straightforward answer when he was asked why the dolphin stayed.
"How would I know?" he said.
Marine observers suggest that close human contact invariably proves harmful to solo dolphins, even when those making most regular contact are motivated by the best of intentions.
Self-appointed minders and regular visitors who delight in being recognised and approached by the mammals may be doing more harm than good.
While not as obvious a danger as buzzing propellers and sharp paddles, continued human contact results in a tamed animal with lessened ability to survive in its natural environment.
One welfare group suggests: "It is not necessary to touch a dolphin to be touched by a dolphin."