It's enough to send Flipper into a frenzy of fin waving, clicking and squeaking . . . or whatever you would call that irritating racket he makes in times of crisis. It seems that his supremacy at sea and screen is under threat from two innovators in the US who plan to make the world's first 2-seater dolphin submersible. Things haven't been this bad since Jaws.
The revealing distinction here is in the term "2-seater", because Rob Innes, from New Zealand and US partner Dan Piazza have already developed and produced a single-occupant craft in the shape of Delphinus Delphis, powered by a 2-stroke Yamaha motor. Completed in 2001, the Sweet Virgin Angel even appeared briefly in the film Austin Powers Goldmember, where it had a role as a launch vehicle on Dr Evil's submarine.
Now the duo's own plan for world domination is to produce a more powerful 2-seater, propelled by a rotary engine of the kind used in Mazda's sporty RX-8. The new vessel - due for completion in 2006 - should be capable of 64km/h (40mph).
As well as offering the speed of a powerboat, it will also be capable of travelling up to five feet below the surface, albeit for short periods, at 32km/h (20mph).
Poor old flipper might well be put out, but on the plus side it could have every jet-skier within a 10-nautical-mile radius fleeing for the safety of the shores.
Innes, whose Innespace company, set up in 1998 and based in California, also makes tasteful 3-D flame-effect bonnets for PT Cruisers, originally wanted to be a car stylist but found himself drawn to watercraft instead.
He told The Irish Times about his latest project: "We decided to use the rotary engine mainly because of its power-to-weight ratio. But also because it's very compact, and a company in New York builds a marine conversion kit. So it's a bolt-in package, unlike our single-seat model which required a lot of custom mods and machining."
But what exactly is it? A submarine, a plane or a dolphin? A bit of each, it transpires. Although submersible, it differs from a submarine by achieving under- water momentum by hydrofoils which push the craft below the surface as it moves forward.
"The distinction is much like the difference between an airship, which uses a lightweight gas to obtain lift, and an aeroplane, which uses its wings to achieve flight," explains Innes.
The design was inspired by an acquaintance of Innes, Thomas Rowe, whose Variable Attitude Submersible Hydrofoil (VASH) he claims was the first ever lighter-than-water vehicle to "fly" underwater, in 1992. The big advantage of the Dolphin 2, which Innes says is "halfway built", is that it will offer "more room, and will be able to take full-sized passengers".
Made of fibreglass and kevlar, boasting two bilge pumps, and sporting a F-22 fighter plane canopy, the craft will be inherently buoyant thanks to a urethane foam core. It will also be self-righting, which should address safety concerns for those who worry about such things.
Then there's the more powerful engine. Innespace is currently using Mazda's older generation rotary from the RX-7, but hopes Mazda might sponsor it by means of a new RX-8 powerplant.
But how will the engine breathe in submersible mode? "At snorkel depth , you can go continuously but visibility is a big problem," says Innes. "So we dive only for about 20 seconds at a time. If you go below snorkel depth, the engine starves for air and you have to resurface quickly." Still sufficient, we're sure, to create a bit of a splash at the local yacht club.
Will the Dolphin go into commercial production? Not for the moment, it seems. The project is "just for fun and to put on shows," says Innes, whose aim is to build the craft for demonstration purposes, taking it around the US and performing stunts for the public.
He does, however, plan to take passengers "for rides below the surface, so they too can experience the unique sensation of flying underwater".
Dolphin 2 will also, he claims, be made available for further film and television work. Flipper watch out.