Latest news with #DorsetWildlifeTrust
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Wales Online
Family left 'stunned' as dolphin joins their morning swim
Family left 'stunned' as dolphin joins their morning swim A family were out for their morning swim when a huge bottlenose dolphin joined them in the water, and the cheeky creature was not afraid to ask for some 'cuddles' Dolphin swims with family A family were left gobsmacked when a playful dolphin joined them for their morning swim, leaping around them and seemingly asking for belly rubs. Lynda MacDonald, 50, along with her partner, son and his girlfriend, embarked on their 6am dip at Lyme Bay, Dorset on 3 August. There are also often lots of dolphins spotted around Wales, like this time a lucky group of locals spotted several pods of dolphins off the south Wales coast. You can read more about that here. Shortly after the family in Dorset dived off their boat for a splash, they were joined by a large bottlenose dolphin. Photos capture the cheeky mammal appearing to ask for cuddles and even guiding swimmers across the waves with its snout. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Lynda, who works in marketing and splits her time between West London and Dorset, said: "It was a magical moment, I'm so glad I caught it on camera. "Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak.", reports the Mirror. Article continues below "It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. I've seen a dolphin before, but this is something I'll remember forever." While dolphins are often associated with photos of families at sun-kissed holiday destinations, they frequently appear on UK shores, according to the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Dolphin swims with family There are 28 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises living in British coastal waters, several of which have been spotted in Dorset. Bottlenose dolphins tend to spend more time closer to shore than other species, making them easier to spot from both land and sea. "The sea belongs to dolphins- we were lucky to spend a moment with it," Lynda said. "You can hear the footage audio that the dolphin was happy to interact with us. But we were mindful; we played for five minutes and then let it go on its way." The family were delighted when they were joined by a surprise visitor Lynda and her family's remarkable encounter with the dolphins follows after a pod of the marine mammals created "quite a stir" when they appeared off the Yorkshire coastline. The group, believed to consist of 225 dolphins, emerged in late July near Scarborough, and was thought to have journeyed south from Moray Firth. Fred Tiles, an amateur wildlife enthusiast who observed the pod as they frolicked through the waters, told the BBC they had ventured "really close to shore and Marine Drive is filled with people with binoculars and cameras watching them breaching and throwing fish". Article continues below Grant Ellis, from The Sea Mammal Research Unit, told the broadcaster oceanic conditions were probably the reason behind their decision to migrate southwards. He said: "There have been a lot of marine heatwaves going on and it could also be that environmental conditions in Yorkshire are improving - it's something we're investigating."
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- General
- Scottish Sun
Fears for playful dolphin who DANCED with family in incredible video at popular UK beach after it's ‘hit by a boat'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FEARS have been raised for a dolphin that was spotted playing happily with a family in the water before it was found injured by a boat. Lynda MacDonald, 50, and her partner, son and his girlfriend, set out for their 6am morning swim at Lyme Bay, Dorset on August 3 when they encountered the friendly dolphin. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 The playful creature happily swam amongst the family but was sadly found injured later Credit: SWNS 4 The bottlenose appeared out of nowhere while the family were out for a morning swim but experts have warned swimmers not to interact with the friendly creatures Credit: SWNS 4 Swimmers were able to touch the dolphin before letting it go on its way after a few minutes Credit: SWNS Just moments after leaping into the chilly water the family encountered a curios bottlenose dolphin. The playful dolphin dances across the water towards the astonished family before swimming on its back and asking for belly rubs. Sadly, the dolphin seen in the footage has since been found injured by a boat in the Lyme Bay area. Wildlife experts have warned swimmers to avoid the creatures and fear for other dolphins around the UK's coast. Lynda, who works in advertising, said about her encounter: "Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. "It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak. "It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. "I've seen a dolphin before, but this is something I'll remember forever." Lynda described the encounter as "magical" adding how glad she was to have caught it on camera. Dolphins appear in UK waters fairly regularly, according to the Dorset Wildlife Trust there are 28 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in British coastal waters. Dolphins surround kayakers off coast of Scots beauty spot The creatures are curios and playful and will approach boats and even sometimes come close to swimmers. But marine experts have asked tourists to stay away from the playful animals, raising concerns for the safety of the sea creatures. Touching the animals can leave them vulnerable to predators according to experts. Swimmers have also been warned away from feeding dolphins any animal food, which may kill them. Lynda said about her encounter: "You can hear the footage audio that the dolphin was happy to interact with us. "But we were mindful; we played for five minutes and then let it go on its way." The UK is thought to have a population of around 700 coastal bottlenose dolphins. The species is renowned for being sociable and playful, often interacting with vessels. They are regularly seen off the coast of the UK and spend a large amount of time in coastal waters. Bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen in Moray Firth, Scotland, Cardigan Bay, Wales, and off the coasts of Cornwall and Northumberland. Playing with dolphins could stress the animals and disrupt their behaviour, migration and feeding. Dolphins, along with whales and other porpoises, are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Approaching or disturbing a dolphin can result in up to six months in prison as well as an unlimited fine.
Edinburgh Live
5 days ago
- Edinburgh Live
Cheeky dolphin gatecrashes family's morning swim and asks for 'tummy tickles'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A family were left gobsmacked when a playful dolphin decided to join their morning swim, leaping around them and seemingly asking for belly rubs. Lynda MacDonald, 50, along with her partner, son and his girlfriend, embarked on their early morning dip at Lyme Bay, Dorset on 3 August. Just moments after they dived off their boat for a splash, they found themselves joined by a massive bottlenose dolphin. Photos reveal the cheeky mammal appearing to ask for cuddles, and even guiding swimmers through the waves with its snout. Lynda, who works in marketing and splits her time between West London and Dorset, commented: "It was a magical moment, I'm so glad I caught it on camera. "Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak," reports the Mirror. "It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. I've seen a dolphin before, but this is something I'll remember forever." While they're usually seen in holiday snaps from sun-drenched destinations, dolphins are actually quite common on UK shores, according to the Dorset Wildlife Trust. There are 28 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises that call British coastal waters home, several of which have been spotted in Dorset. Bottlenose dolphins tend to spend more time closer to shore than other species, making them easier to spot both from land and sea. "The sea belongs to dolphins- we were lucky to spend a moment with it," Lynda shared. "You can hear the footage audio that the dolphin was happy to interact with us. But we were mindful; we played for five minutes and then let it go on its way." Lynda and her family's extraordinary encounter with the dolphins follows a recent incident where a large pod of the creatures caused quite a commotion when they appeared off the Yorkshire coast. The group, estimated to be around 225 dolphins, emerged in late July just off Scarborough, believed to have journeyed south from Moray Firth. Fred Tiles, an amateur naturalist who observed the group as they frolicked in the water, told the BBC they had come "really close to shore and Marine Drive is filled with people with binoculars and cameras watching them breaching and throwing fish". Grant Ellis, from The Sea Mammal Research Unit, suggested to the broadcaster that sea conditions were likely the reason they decided to travel down south. He stated: "There have been a lot of marine heatwaves going on and it could also be that environmental conditions in Yorkshire are improving - it's something we're investigating."
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Incredible moment dolphin joins family and asks for cuddles in unforgettable swim
A family from West London were on a morning swim in Dorset when they were joined by a giant bottlenose dolphin - which appeared keen on eliciting belly rubs from the group A family were left stunned after a cheeky dolphin gatecrashed their morning swim - leaping about them and begging for tummy tickles. Lynda MacDonald, 50, and her partner, son and his girlfriend, headed out for their 6am dawn dip at Lyme Bay, Dorset on August 3. Moments after they plunged off their vessel for a splash they were accompanied by the enormous bottlenose dolphin. Images show the mischievous creature requesting cuddles, and even shepherding swimmers across the waves with its snout. Lynda, who operates in marketing and divides her time between West London and Dorset, remarked: "It was a magical moment, I'm so glad I caught it on camera. "Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak. "It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. I've seen a dolphin before, but this is something I'll remember forever." While they typically feature in photos of families at sunkissed holiday destinations, dolphins do often appear on UK shores, according to the Dorset Wildlife Trust. There are 28 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises residing in British coastal waters, a number of which have been recorded in Dorset. Bottlenose dolphins tend to spend more time inshore than other species, making them easier to spot from the land as well as from the sea. "The sea belongs to dolphins- we were lucky to spend a moment with it," Lynda said. "You can hear the footage audio that the dolphin was happy to interact with us. But we were mindful; we played for five minutes and then let it go on its way." Lynda and her family's incredible experience with the dolphins comes after a pod of the mammals caused "quite a stir" when they surfaced on the Yorkshire coast. The pod, thought to number 225 dolphins, surfaced in late July just off Scarborough, and was believed to have made its way south from Moray Firth. Fred Tiles, an amateur naturalist who watched the group as they danced through the water, told the BBC they had travelled "really close to shore and Marine Drive is filled with people with binoculars and cameras watching them breaching and throwing fish". Grant Ellis, from The Sea Mammal Research Unit, told the broadcaster sea conditions were likely behind the reason they decided to travel down south. He said: "There have been a lot of marine heatwaves going on and it could also be that environmental conditions in Yorkshire are improving - it's something we're investigating."
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Rare sea Warty Doris slug photographed in Studland Bay
Spotting a rare sea slug in UK waters was "absolutely incredible" says an underwater Munn from Swanage, Dorset, captured the Warty Doris near Old Harry's Rocks in Studland Bay earlier this ocean lover who volunteers with Seasearch, a project led by the Marine Conservation Society, said she was "so excited" and had to "do a double take".The slug is usually found off France, Belgium and Spain, and in the waters of the Mediterranean, Adriatic and west Atlantic. Seasearch and Dorset Wildlife Trust confirmed that Ms Munn's discovery was the species of nudibranch, which gets it name from the warts all over its body. "It's normally associated with warmer waters so it's possibly an indicator of climate change," Ms Munn said there were quite a few of the bright yellow and orange creatures, which can range in length from 30mm to 70mm."It actually breathes through it's bottom so it's quite a cute species," she environmentalist was also able to capture an image of the brightly coloured Warty Doris eggcase, which the slug's use to protect their eggs. Ms Munn fell in love with the ocean after she used swimming and snorkelling to aid her recovery following a series of car said she is out exploring and snorkelling along Dorset's coastline on a daily blogs her findings, in the hope that it will inspire others to make new discoveries in the local waters."I just want to raise awareness of the marine life that we can find around here and how colourful and beautiful it is," she said. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
