WATCH: Dolphins spotted in St. Catherine's Bay

Wednesday 02 September 2020

Visitors to St. Catherine's Bay were greeted with an unexpected sight over the bank holiday - Common Dolphins swimming in the shallows.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue Channel Islands described the scene on their Facebook page.

“There were newborn calves with the adults and they circled amongst swimmers, paddle boarders and boats in 4/6ft of water," they explained.

WATCH: Footage of the dolphins at St Catherine's Bay taken by Martine Le Guilcher and her mother, Marilyn. 

“Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) prefer deeper waters and would usually try and avoid people and our local Bottlenose dolphins, especially with their calves. 

“There were multiple Bottlenose pods just outside the breakwater at the same time! Seeing them this close in is unusual and they could have been at risk of stranding if stressed and feeling trapped.

“Thank you to those swimmers that were already in the water, that remained still and let them pass freely and as stress free as possible.”

Speaking to Express, BDMLR CI Regional Co-ordinator, Donna De Gruchy, explained how unusual it is to see Common Dolphins in this context, saying that it “shocked” her to see the dolphins “not only come into the east of the island, but in so shallow – especially with calves.”

She said that whilst it is common to see more “hefty” Bottlenose Dolphins, it is far more unusual for the “petite and delicate” Common Dolphins to come in shallow and close, and that usually this “does probably mean something is wrong.”

She added that whilst she was not certain, she was “80%” sure it was due to the Common Dolphins fleeing the Bottlenoses, which have a tendency to pick on the smaller breed – though there was also a chance it could have been the dolphins following a school of fish too.

It may be that the dolphins return to the area too, with the BDMLR warning that they are “still on high alert this pod may come back in - there is a possibility there could be a large stranding.”

Donna urged the public to stay out of the water if they see dolphins, saying that “the best action is to let them find their way back out again."

"Leave them well alone, don’t get into the water to swim with them, give them a wide berth and some space, call us and we will give some advice.”