Beachgoers in Japan warned that dolphins' 'cute image' to blame for a spate of biting incidents, reports say

• A dolphin in Japan is suspected to have bitten at least 10 beachgoers.
• A 40-year-old man suffered a minor wrist injury after being bitten on Sunday.

Beachgoers in Japan have been warned to keep their distance from a dolphin accused of biting people, reports say.

At least ten incidents of dolphin bites have been reported in the Japanese region of Fukui since the beach opened on July 9, according to local media.

Officials believe that one dolphin is behind all the attacks, Masaki Tasui, an official from Fukui's tourism department, told AFP.

The most recent attack was recorded on July 24, when a man in his forties was bitten and suffered a minor wrist injury, The Asahi Shimbun reported.

Signs have now been placed around the beach warning beachgoers not to touch dolphins, and similar warnings have been posted on social media by police, the newspaper said.

"Dolphins have a cute image, but if you approach wild dolphins easily, you may be bitten and injured," Fukui prefectural police said on Twitter.

Authorities are planning to install devices that transmit ultrasonic waves to repel the animals from the shoreline, The Asahi Shimbun reported.

Tasui told AFP that beachgoers are encouraged to keep a distance and not touch the dolphin.

"We understand that there are certain body parts where dolphins don't like to be touched, like the tip of its nose and its back fin," he told the news agency.

Videos posted on Twitter showed swimmers trying to touch the dolphin in those areas, Tasui said. "We encourage visitors to watch the dolphin from afar if they come across it."