Visitors, volunteers and staff at Durlston Country Park in Swanage have been treated to three consecutive days of dolphin sightings from the cliffs.
A pod of around eight to ten bottlenose dolphins have been repeatedly spotted between Anvil Point and Durlston Bay. They were first seen on Tuesday 20th April 2021 and then again on Wednesday when a local resident saw a group of six dolphins at 6.40 am.
Durlston Country Park residential volunteer Gwyneth Mitchell caught the amazing sight of these dolphins on camera on Tuesday 20th April 2021
Everyone was keeping an eye out
On Thursday, everyone was keeping an eye out when they swam into view at 6.55 am and Greg Lee was able to capture an excellent photo that included a baby calf. They later returned to the delight of many visitors at 11.30 am.
These dolphins including a calf, pictured on the left were photographed early in the morning at Durlston on Thursday 22nd April 2021
“We would love to see any photos”
Senior ranger at Durlston Country Park, Katie Black said:
“It’s wonderful to see the bottlenose dolphins back. If anyone has any reports, please send them to us. We would love to see any photos, as we can use photos of the fins to identify each individual dolphin.
“This allows us to discover where else they have been travelling and helps build up a picture of where these dolphins go, when and who with. We can then share this information with other organisations to help in their protection.
“If you are lucky enough to be out on the water and see dolphins, please be considerate and keep a distance away from them avoiding sudden movements.
“There have been records of dolphins being injured and distressed by fast moving watercraft. Follow the Cetacean Code of Conduct – available on the Dorset Wildlife Trust website. But do enjoy the view!”
Further information
- More about dolphins including how to protect them is on the Dorset Wildlife Trust website
- Follow all the wildlife sightings at Durlston Country Park by reading the daily diary
