Paddleboarders were left open-mouthed as a cheeky dolphin popped up beside them – almost, it seems, on porpoise.
The holidaymakers on the Cardigan coast of Wales had their close encounter of the watery kind at New Quay bay.
The sighting was documented by zoologist Sarah Michelle Wyer, working as a wildlife guide for Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips. Wyer, who has spent years studying marine life, regularly captures the dolphins in their natural habitat.
The sighting is one of many recent dolphin appearances in the area, delighting both locals and tourists alike.
The dolphins at New Quay are of the common bottlenose variety – scientific name Tursiops truncatus. Website the Dolphins of Cardigan Bay advises: ‘The chance of seeing dolphins in or near New Quay on any given day are good – especially in the summer when the sea is calm.
Paddleboarders were left open-mouthed as a cheeky dolphin popped up beside them
The sighting is one of many recent dolphin appearances in the area
‘A survey by the University of Aberdeen has suggested that there may be as many as 127 dolphins off the Cardigan coast, although other researchers have suggested that this number may well have been inflated.’
Back in May, visitors to the Welsh coast were greeted with a spectacle during the bank holiday weekend when a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins put on a display.
Boat trippers in New Quay Bay, Ceredigion watched in awe as the mammals jumped out of the sea in extraordinary scenes on Saturday.
The dolphins took turns showing off their best moves, jumping out of the water in full sight of the tourists.
Sarah Michelle Wyer, a marine zoologist and wildlife guide for Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips, told the Mail at the time: ‘We don’t see them (Bottlenose Dolphins) on every trip we do but when we see them ‘performing’, it never gets old.
Bottlenose dolphins put on a show back in May, jumping out of the sea at New Quay Bay in West Wales on a Saturday afternoon, entertaining people on a boat trip
Sarah Michelle Wyer, a marine zoologist and wildlife guide for Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips, previously told the Mail: ‘We don’t see them (Bottlenose Dolphins) on every trip we do but when we see them ‘performing’, it never gets old
Bottlenose Dolphins are commonly found along the west coast of Wales but are found across the UK
The dolphins took turns showing off their best moves, jumping out of the water in full sight of the tourists
Marine zoologist Sarah Michelle Wyer took the photos while working as a wildlife guide for Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips
‘They are frustrating as their so unpredictable, but visibility is better when the sea is better like on Saturday.’
Ms Wyer, 30, described how the pod of around eight Bottlenose Dolphins were visible to those on the beach and to onlookers from the pier.
On the boat, the Ermol VI, Ms Wyer was giving a tour of the bay when the dolphins began to ‘go crazy’.
As a zoologist, she described the Bottlenose as ‘playful creatures’ who ‘love to interact with boatloads of tourists’.
She added: ‘One guest said it crossed off a dream from her bucket list- it’s really special to be part of the experience’.
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