2,000 dolphins spotted off coast (From Western Telegraph)

2,000 dolphins spotted off coast

A pod of around 2,000 dolphins has been seen off the coast of Pembrokeshire. A phenomenon which has been described by marine experts as 'massively unusual'.

Last week Cliff Benson of South West Wales Sea Trust on one of the regular cetacean surveys out to The Smalls from Neyland Marina last week said the sea literally boiled with dolphins.

He said: "We went out to the Smalls beyond Grassholm, where the sea just began to erupt with dolphins.

"There were about 2,000 of them with hundreds of gannets circling above. It was incredible that there were so many of them in such good condition, mothers and calves, all sizes leaping out of the water. A truly amazing sight."

He added that they also spotted a minke whale and it has also been reported that a killer whale was spotted in the same area.

"To see 100 or 200 dolphins at this time of year is not unusual but to see around 2,000 is incredible.

"It could be that they are attracted because the waters around Pembrokeshire are rich in food and there are no predators. They could be coming here to breed because the conditions are so right." he said.

Cliff Benson heralds Pembrokeshire as being the UK's Dolphin Coast. "People think they need to go to Florida to see dolphins leaping out of the water but it's all right here.

"We should be marketing the area as The Dolphin Coast, and encouraging tourists to come here and spend their money to boost the local economy."