Lucky boater has close encounter with pod of white-beaked dolphins off British coast
- last year
A lucky boater had a close encounter with a pod of dolphins while sea fishing off the South Coast.
Dave Duggan, 60, spotted the group off the coast of Hastings, East Sussex. The pod of five white-beaked dolphins swam near his boat before they travelled further out to sea
After the incredible experience, the semi-retired building surveyor said: “It was such a lovely and magical experience and an honour to interact with these lovely creatures.”
White-beaked dolphins are very social and acrobatic and are often spotted in pods of five to 10.
They are a subpolar species, meaning they are usually found in cooler seas of the North Atlantic. Further north they are a popular snack for Polar Bears.
However, some can be found year-round in Lyme Bay, Devon and Dorset and sometimes off the north east coast of England.
On the same day last Saturday Dave and his friend Luke Edir also saw a minke whale while out at sea fishing off neighbouring Eastbourne.
Sussex Dolphin Project shared the dolphin video on its Twitter account.
They wrote: “These energetic dolphins have tall dorsal fins and grey/black colouring with white saddle patches and white markings along the flanks and a white beak.
"They spend most of their time offshore, therefore, are rarely sighted.”
Dave Duggan, 60, spotted the group off the coast of Hastings, East Sussex. The pod of five white-beaked dolphins swam near his boat before they travelled further out to sea
After the incredible experience, the semi-retired building surveyor said: “It was such a lovely and magical experience and an honour to interact with these lovely creatures.”
White-beaked dolphins are very social and acrobatic and are often spotted in pods of five to 10.
They are a subpolar species, meaning they are usually found in cooler seas of the North Atlantic. Further north they are a popular snack for Polar Bears.
However, some can be found year-round in Lyme Bay, Devon and Dorset and sometimes off the north east coast of England.
On the same day last Saturday Dave and his friend Luke Edir also saw a minke whale while out at sea fishing off neighbouring Eastbourne.
Sussex Dolphin Project shared the dolphin video on its Twitter account.
They wrote: “These energetic dolphins have tall dorsal fins and grey/black colouring with white saddle patches and white markings along the flanks and a white beak.
"They spend most of their time offshore, therefore, are rarely sighted.”