This week has seen some delightful dolphin sightings in north Pembrokeshire as a pod of around 30-40 sheltered from the stormy weather.

Conservation charity Sea Trust said that large pods of more than 100 common dolphins were showing at Strumble Head and Fishguard Bay over the festive season.

More recently a 30 to 40 strong group were spotted feeding at the outer breakwater. Cliff recommended going to Fishguard Fort or the viewpoint at Harbour Village to spot them near the harbour.

Yesterday, Friday, local fisherman, Matt Lewis, of the Newport Shellfish Company, took advantage of the perfect conditions yesterday to get this footage of a playful group bow surfing at the front of his fishing boat just off Dinas Head.

Matt has been at sea since the age of seven. He used to help his dad in his commercial fishing operation and then left Pembrokeshire at a young age to sail around the world and then work on board super yachts.

He returned to Pembrokeshire to start a fishing business at the start of lockdown.

“We often see dolphins while we are out fishing,” said Matt. “But yesterday was an exceptionally beautiful winter’s day and we took advantage of the photo opportunities.”

Common dolphins are very sociable and are usually found in groups of hundreds or thousands of others, eating and travelling together.

They feed on mall fish such as mackerel, anchovies, lanternfish and sprats, squid and octopus and can be found in warm-temperate and tropical waters.

They can be identified by their colouring; dark grey above and whiter below and have a distinctive hourglass pattern on their sides, including an obvious yellow-cream area starting behind the long, narrow beak.

The dorsal fin is tall and triangular and curves slightly backwards.