An unusual number of common dolphins, including a super-pod of more than 300, have been spotted off the Pembrokeshire coast.

Sea Trust team staff and volunteers have been overjoyed to be seeing lots of common dolphins off Fishguard Bay and Strumble Head.

Andy Wise an experienced Sea Trust volunteer saw a super-pod of more than 300 common dolphins feeding off Strumble Head on Saturday, February 4. While yesterday, Monday, Sea Trust’s photo ID team saw more than 100.

“This is very unusual, not merely because common dolphins tend to be further out to sea, but in the fact that they are turning up in big numbers,” said Sea Trust founder, Cliff Benson.

“Ordinarily this would be considered as good news but there have also been some rather distressing strandings on our shores recently with reports of dead animals washing up between Freshwater West and as far north as Aberystwyth .

“From what we can see most of these animals have been dead for some weeks and scavenged by birds and foxes.”

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Cliff has questioned what is bringing the common dolphins so close in to the coast and in such numbers.

“Is it that there is a huge abundance of fish off Strumble and in Fishguard Bay bringing the dolphins in, or that there is a shortage of fish elsewhere where they would normally be feeding? Is something sinister happening out to sea?”

He is hopeful that it is the former and says that Sea Trust hopes to be getting out to sea as soon as the days get longer.

“Maybe we will find out,” said Cliff. “Either way, our Sea Trust volunteers will continue to monitor the situation from the shore in the meantime.”

Cliff recommends Strumble Head as the best place to spot the common dolphins and recommends looking for large white gannets circling above them as they feed off the same shoals and splashes.

“You will need binoculars and also patience,” said Cliff.

He asked anybody who sees a dead dolphin to take a picture if possible and let Sea Trust know. The charity will then pass the information on to the strandings network.

 

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