Those on the coast of the Isle of Wight have been treated this year with many sightings of dolphin pods.
Only just earlier this month, video was captured by David Cheal as he was fishing off the coast of Sandown. And who can forget the wonderful footage by Kian Forster in July as he was joined by dolphins in Sandown Bay.
Joining the jet-skiers
Yesterday evening, George Carter-Knight was the next person to capture footage of a beautiful pod of dancing dolphins, as he jet-skied from Shanklin to Ventnor.
George says they we were joined by around 15-20 dolphins, and “they were swimming underneath and beside us for about 45 minutes”.
It really must be a great experience to suddenly find yourself surrounded by these beautiful creatures, but if you do see some, please take notice of the advice below the video.
Take note
If you’re out on a boat and do see some dolphins please note the following advice from experts.
The British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) share advice against swimming with dolphins. This followed the regular sightings of a lone dolphin in Portsmouth last year.
They say,
Interacting with dolphins runs the risk of zoonotic disease transfer, which is the passing of contagious diseases between humans and dolphins.
There are known cases in the UK where people have been infected by dolphins with pneumonia and meningoencephalitis, although the disease transmission can work both ways.
BDMLR is urging people not to enter the water with dolphins. We appreciate how unusual and exciting it is to have the opportunity to see these majestic creatures from our shores, but please dolphin-watch responsibly from land. This ensures you and the dolphin stay safe.
They go on to warn,
Interactions with wild dolphins may break the law. It is illegal to disturb or harass dolphins in UK waters and can result in criminal conviction, (including hefty fines and/or jail time), as was the case when two men went for an early morning swim with a dolphin in Kent.
If you do see the pod of dolphins and are tempted to jump in and swim with them, please note this advice below shared with us by the good folks over at Corvid Blog.
Click on image to see larger version
Image and video: © George Carter-Knight
