The police have now spoken out <\/p>\n
Here are some words I never thought I\u2019d read, let alone write: A man in America has claimed he was kidnapped by a dolphin called Gerald and forced to build an underwater city.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, stories \u2013 whether they be real or fabricated \u2013 go viral for the simple fact that they\u2019re unhinged. The American woman in Pakistan<\/a> comes to mind, as does the woman who fell in love with her therapist<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gerald the dolphin has got them all beat.<\/p>\n It all started when Ricky James Hollowell washed up on a beach<\/p>\n @wysileenator<\/a> <\/p>\n #gerald<\/a> #geraldthedolphin<\/a> #dolphin<\/a> #fyp\u30b7<\/a> <\/p>\n \u266c Take Me to the King (feat. Kirk Franklin) \u2013 Tamela Mann<\/a> <\/p>\n Right, first off, I\u2019m hoping you can see this story for what it is: Completely made up. It\u2019s the sort of cr*p your mum falls for on Facebook, but due to the sheer virality<\/a> of the claims, it\u2019s spiralled out of control.\u00a0It\u2019s since made its way to practically every social media platform, with one post on TikTok having seven million views.<\/p>\n It all started on spoof Facebook pages earlier this month. A man, identified as Ricky James Hollowell, apparently washed up on the beach in Florida.<\/p>\n \u201cAccording to the police report, Ricky James Hollowell, 33, was found barefoot, severely sunburned, and wearing only swim trunks. He told deputies he had been \u2018taken against his will by a pod of dolphins three days ago\u2019 and forced to work on what he called \u2018an underwater construction project,’\u201d the false report read.<\/p>\n The pod of dolphins, commanded by a foreman called Gerald, \u201cescorted him to a site approximately 40 feet below the surface\u201d, where they needed help building structures.<\/p>\n You see, the dolphins were building a city. Detailed blueprints showed plans for condos, a town square, and a recreation centre.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Now, here\u2019s the moment you might be wondering how Ricky communicated with the dolphins or even breathed underwater. The report had an answer for that, claiming that Gerald taught Ricky their language.<\/p>\n When asked how he breathed underwater for three days, fake Ricky told the police: \u201cGerald handled that. I didn\u2019t ask questions. You don\u2019t question Gerald.\u201d<\/p>\n Once the dolphins were happy with Ricky\u2019s work, they dumped him on the beach whilst stating \u201cthey\u2019d be back for phase two.\u201d<\/p>\n The post went mega viral, with the lore expanded<\/p>\n Over the coming days, the story was shared, reangled, and spread across the internet. Before long, lore was created for Gerald and his kidnapping gang. One Facebook post even claimed that Gerald was radicalised on Epstein\u2019s island.<\/p>\n On TikTok, people shared AI renderings of Gerald and the other dolphins. Others created videos of Ricky being forced to build the city underwater.<\/p>\n It\u2019s ridiculous and stupid, but the internet can\u2019t look away.<\/p>\n I think I\u2019ve met Gerald. He\u2019s 100% a dolphin but he has this GI JOE face if you look at him with dolphin vision. He\u2019s like the dolphin Ron Perlman. Very \u201cget it done\u201d attitude about him. Hope he\u2019s doing well. https:\/\/t.co\/Vlo8PqoyF4<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/p0jysvA6hc<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Wissa (@Wissa_YT) March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Experts spoke out about Gerald the dolphin<\/p>\n Speaking to Life Hacker<\/a>, literal dolphin expert Justin Gregg was forced to reject the notion that dolphins can build cities, kidnap people, and have normal human names.<\/p>\n \u201cNo. It\u2019s insane. Absolutely not,\u201d he said when asked if \u201cdolphins use humans for construction projects in aquatic environments.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked if he knew Gerald personally, Justin responded: \u201cNobody knows Gerald, because Gerald does not exist.\u201d<\/p>\n Wow. Touchy much?<\/p>\n @thegeraldfiles<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cGerald and mayor flipper set the records straight\u201d #geraldthedolphin<\/a> #dophin<\/a> #aitiktok<\/a> #fyp<\/a> #underwaterworld<\/a> <\/p>\n \u266c original sound \u2013 TheGeraldFiles<\/a> <\/p>\n The real police issued a real statement about the dolphin kidnapping<\/p>\n The story continued to spiral, so much so that the real police in Florida were forced to respond to lingering questions about the dolphin kidnap case.<\/p>\n On Facebook, the Lee County Sheriff\u2019s Office wrote: \u201cWhile living in Lee County is paradise \u2013 we can confidently confirm the underwater real estate market has not been tapped into\u2026yet. We checked with our newly implemented Underwater Construction Investigation Team and learned the dolphins of our oceans deny any involvement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDisclaimer: No dolphins were harmed in the making of this rumour.\u201d<\/p>\n I smell a cover-up.<\/p>\n For more like this,\u00a0like The Tab on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n Featured image credit: Canva\/Facebook<\/p>\n