The pod of 30 bottlenose dolphins leaped in front of his boat off the Sussex coastline for 15 magical minutes.
Huge pod of dolphins stuns English fisherman
A fisherman in Sussex was surprised by an incredible encounter when a pod of up to 30 bottlenose dolphins started bow-riding on his boat just off the Rampion Windfarm.
The group of adults, calves and juveniles stuck around with James Hawkes’ boat for around 15 minutes.
“Huge thanks to James for sharing this magical moment with us,” says Lloyd Gofton, director of Sussex Dolphin Project. The charity has added the footage to their sightings database, which is used by researchers to learn more about the dolphins, whales and porpoises found in Sussex waters.
People often think you need to go abroad for incredible marine encounters but British waters are full of marine life.
“The channel is not just a busy shipping lane,” Gofton says. “It’s also a vital migration route for marine life and a hunting ground for marine mammals such as bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises, which we see regularly, and common dolphins and white-beaked dolphins that we see occasionally.”
These animals are an important part of a healthy ocean, he says: “Add that to our resident grey and common seals plus the odd sighting of sunfish, bluefin tuna, various sharks and rays and even minke and humpback whales, and we get a better picture of this small but vibrant stretch of ocean.”
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