Moment dolphin joins electric surfboard lesson in River Forth

Daily Record

14 hours ago

"Nothing can top learning how to eFoil at the Forth Road Bridge while having a dolphin playing with you.'
The 'surprising' moment where a dolphin joined in with two men riding futuristic electric surfboards in the shot of the iconic Forth Road Bridge has been captured.
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The incredible encounter was caught on video on Sunday by Lloyd Blyth, 30, owner of eFoil Scotland, who admitted the magical scenes left him and his student 'buzzing' with excitement.
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In the clip, the dolphin can be seen gliding up from beneath the surface before launching itself into the air, right next to the electric-powered eFoil boards, which use hydrofoils to lift above the water.
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Shouts of 'Woah!' and 'He's coming!' from Lloyd can be heard as the creature playfully darts around them, with the Forth Road Bridge towering in the background.
For Lloyd, who launched eFoil Scotland in 2021, it was an unforgettable moment. He told the Daily Record: 'I had only just got the student out on the water when I saw a splash and I knew straight away that the dolphin was there to join in.
'It is such a rare thing to happen. There is a resident dolphin in South Queensferry who we have seen before, although you cannot guarantee it. We were just so lucky that it joined in with us as you never expect it to.
'It's the closest we have ever been to it. It's so surprising how comfortable and approachable it is.
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'I posted a one-minute video of it online but in actual fact it swam with us for around 20 minutes or so. It was loving playing with us.
'I had a guy out on an eFoil teaching him how to do it and the dolphin just kept switching between us both.
'It was getting so close to us and wasn't scared at all. It was an unbelievable experience. You could reach out and touch it with how close it was.'
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The dolphin seemed completely at ease, weaving between the instructor and the learner, who communicate using headsets, almost as if it wanted to be part of the lesson.
Lloyd added: 'When you go out on the eFoil. It makes a different sound compared to your standard boat engines.
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'I don't know if the noise or frequency from the eFoil attracts them as they know it's play time. It just wanted to come across and join in on the fun.
'The guy I had out was buzzing because not only was he learning how to eFoil, which is good fun in itself, but he got to have such a great experience with a dolphin.
'It spent the majority of the time with him because he was going a bit slower. He was over the moon.'
The experience will be one which lives with Lloyd forever. He continued: 'It will be hard to top learning how to eFoil at the Forth Road Bridge, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site, while also having a dolphin playing with you.'
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