WATCH: Dolphin encounters off Weymouth and Portland

There has been a spate of sightings of the friendly mammals in the last few days in both Weymouth Bay and Portland Marina.

Paddleboarders Holly Moore, 24, and Katie Balem, 23, were delighted to be joined by a pod of four dolphins which came close to shore.

The dolphins decided to follow the two women as they paddled from the Weymouth Pier Bandstand to Greenhill on Monday.

Holly encounters four dolphins whilst paddle boarding off Weymouth Beach (Image: Katie Belem)

Katie shot a video of the encounter, which also attracted the interest of many people walking along the beach.

Holly, who works at a pre-school, said: "It was a bit of a shock. This was the first time we've been out on the paddleboards this year.

"We believe the dolphins were feeding as it was very quiet and there were lots of fish in the area.

"We were really shocked to see them so close to shore."

The picture Dave Whitlow took off a dolphin whilst swimming in Portland Marina (Image: Dave Whitlow) 

The previous day, Sunday, April 16, Portlander Dave Whitlow went for his usual swim outside the Portland Marina breakwater and encountered an inquisitive dolphin.

He said: “The wind direction was really calm and I’d been swimming for a few minutes when I saw the dolphin. It was an adult.

“I wasn’t too fussed when I saw it, I saw the fin and then saw it as it breached. I went back to the car and got my camera.

“It hung around for about five minutes, I think the nearest it got to me was about four or five metres away.

“It’s something I’d never seen before and I was glad it wasn’t a seal!”

The dolphins close to the shore at Greenhill as seen from Katie's paddleboard (Image: Katie Balem)

Sarah Hodgson, Centre Officer at the Dorset Wildlife Trust's Fine Foundation Wild Chesil Centre, said it looked like in both instances the dolphins seen were bottlenose dolphins. 

She said: "We get frequent sightings of bottlenose dolphins along the Dorset including around Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour. 

"There are several other species of cetacean (whale/dolphin/porpoise) which have been recorded locally including short-beaked common dolphin, white-beaked dolphin, risso’s dolphin, harbour porpoise and even the occasional whale.

"There have been regular sightings of a pair of bottlenose dolphins in the Weymouth and Portland area over the past few years. 

"Researchers have also discovered that there is a small group of bottlenose dolphins which are resident in the south of England and range between Cornwall and Sussex."

Anyone who spots a dolphin or other marine mammal in Dorset can report the sighting at Kimmeridge@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

Those who do encounter dolphins should keep their distance and shouldn't feed or try to interact with them. 

Boats should maintain a steady speed and course and avoid encircling or chasing them.  If the dolphins come close, engines should be switched off.