Nick Ut / AP

A dolphin swims in wetlands at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, Calif., Monday, Aug. 30, 2012.

Nick Ut / AP

Spectators watch as a dolphin, dorsal fin visible at lower right, swims in wetlands at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, Calif., Monday, Aug. 30, 2012.

Msnbc.com reports: A lone dolphin that has spent the past five days swimming in the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Southern California may be the victim of bullying, NBCLosAngeles.com reported. The dolphin may have been prevented from leaving the Huntington Beach nature preserve by other dolphins, Peter Wallerstein, director of Marine Animal Rescue told the Register. This would be a rare occurrence, as dolphins are social creatures that typically travel in a pod.

“He was scared, he was intimidated, he was bullied,” Wallerstein told the Los Angeles Times. Dolphins "can be very aggressive toward each other. They’re not the sweet, loving, gentle animals portrayed by the movies and the cartoons. They do have a dark side.”

• More pictures in an earlier Photoblog post about this dolphin.

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