Watch terrifying moment ‘sexually frustrated’ dolphin ‘attacks’ swimmer who thought it was going to kill him

This is the terrifying moment a ‘sexually frustrated’ dolphin is said to have attacked a swimmer who thought it would kill him.

Footage shows the mammal swimming next to the man and apparently bumping into him as the terrified swimmer tries to get away.

Bystanders can be heard screaming in panic, with one person throwing a paddleboard at the man to get him to safety.

The man who fled from the dolphin has been identified as Takuma Goto, who was swimming with a friend near the town of Tsuruga in central Japan when they encountered the single dolphin, believed to have been responsible for as many as 15 attacks during the summer.

The pair had been swimming 20 meters offshore from Crystal Beach when the mammal allegedly attacked them.

‘It kept attacking me and I honestly believed I was going to die. “I was most worried about being dragged underwater and further out to sea,” Goto told local media.

Bystanders can be heard screaming in panic, with one person throwing a paddleboard at the man to get him to safety

Takuma Goto was rescued by nearby surfers after encountering the lone dolphin while swimming along the coast of central Japan

Dolphins are not generally thought to pose a threat to humans, who generally do not view them as prey.

But local authorities had posted signs warning swimmers of dolphin attacks Telegraph reported.

Goto, 23, said he realized the animal was not a shark but a dolphin when he raised its head from the water.

The dolphin continued to attack and bite the swimmer, leaving wounds in both his arms, as well as a cut on his left index finger, which required five stitches.

He was fortunately saved from the aggressive animal, which experts now believe to be a bottlenose dolphin, by a nearby surfer.

But it is possible that the dolphin’s bites were not an attempt to harm Mr Goto but were an attempt at communication, with scientists suggesting the dolphin was looking for “alternative companionship” after being driven from its own community.

‘As with humans and other social animals, hormonal fluctuations, sexual frustration or the desire to dominate can drive the dolphin to injure the people it interacts with. Because they are such powerful animals, this can lead to serious injuries in humans,” says biologist Dr. Simon Allen.

Swimmers were warned of possible dolphin attacks by signs placed by the local government on Crystal Beach

Dolphins rarely hunt humans, with experts believing the mammal’s bites were an attempt at communication (file photo)

Mari Kobayashi, head of the marine biology laboratory at Tokyo University of Agriculture, said the animal is believed to have committed several attacks over the summer.

He said the mammal may have been showing signs of loneliness as the species usually occurs in groups.

For Mr. Goto, the frightening experience has kept him from returning to the water. He said: ‘Every time I look at the sea, I can’t help but think there might be a dolphin there.’

Medical teams from the Tsuruga Coast Guard office had been repeatedly called to treat people attacked by dolphins.

It advised swimmers who see a dolphin to get out of the water quickly, keep their distance and not try to feed it.