Up to 4m long with a tall, recurved dorsal fin, Bottlenose Dolphins are chunky-looking. Inquisitive and sociable, dolphins often ‘bowride’ boats. It’s important to let them interact on their terms. They are vulnerable to myriad threats, from shipping activity, noise and pollution to entanglement and consumption of litter and ‘ghost’ fishing gear. Travelling in groups of three to 10 or more, they have a relatively slow cruising speed of 2mph.
Top spots to see them include the clear waters around RSPB Troup Head or the RSPB reserves in Orkney in Scotland, and RSPB Bempton Cliffs in Yorkshire. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has identified 50 individuals, split into two groups, off the west coast of Scotland. The total UK population is around 700, across east- and west-coast Scotland, south-west England and coastal Wales.
Read about more incredible wildlife of the sea with this article showing how Orcas are faring in Scotland, and where you can see them.
Watch Bottlenose Dolphins. Video: The RSPB
