It’s been a while since we last heard of a pod of dolphins off the south coast of the Isle of Wight – but today is the lucky day.
Local fisherman, Ed Blake from Ventnor Haven Fisheries, shared these short videos of a small pod of dolphins passing Ventnor and heading towards Shanklin at lunchtime (Monday).
These beautiful creatures are a joy to watch diving through the water. Click on the play buttons to watch the short clips.
If you are on Facebook you can watch the videos there via Ed’s profile.
Take note
If you’re out on the water and do see some dolphins please note the following advice from marine wildlife 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 a few years ago.
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.
Image: For illustrative purposes – Pod of dolphins by den trushtin under CC BY 2.0
