A couple who are planning to give birth in the presence of dolphins have been criticised by scientists.
Heather Barrington, 27, and her husband Adam, 29, have flown to Hawaii from their home in North Carolina to deliver their baby underwater with the mammals.
They say a dolphin-assisted birth will bring 'peace, comfort and strength' to the delivery.
The Mail claims experts have branded the creatures 'unpredictable, dangerous and not to be trusted around a pregnant woman'.
'This has to be, hands down, one of the worst natural birthing ideas anyone has ever had,' scientist Christie Wilcox said.
She added that there is research to show that dolphins will 'toss, beat, and kill small porpoises or baby sharks for no apparent reason other than they enjoy it'.
She also referenced various YouTube videos showing the mammals 'roughhousing' with humans.
'Is this an animal you want to have at your side when you're completely vulnerable?' she questioned.
The Barringtons are planning to have their baby at the The Sirius Institute in Hawaii - an organisation which wishes to 'dolphinise' the world.
Pregnant Heather told the Charlotte Observer that it was possible that she won't actually deliver with a dolphin midwife, but intends to spend a lot of time in the water before and after the birth trying to bond with the creatures.
'It is about reconnecting as humans with the dolphins so we can coexist in this world together and learn from one another,' she said.