Dolphins filmed swimming next to fishing boat in video taken off coast of Tynemouth

'They'll happily come alongside, swimming under and in front of the boat'

A pod of dolphins have been filmed as they swam near to a fishing boat off the coast of Tynemouth.

Tony Wealleans estimated there may have been “up to 40 of them” when he filmed them in the late afternoon of 18 June.

“We always slow the boat down when we see them and if they aren't feeding they'll happily come alongside, swimming under and in front of the boat,” he said.

The crewman on the Blueye II Charter Boat, said he sees the animals fairly regularly in the summer but there have been a lot more sightings this year.

Seeing dolphins in their natural habitat was “a wonderful sight to behold”, said a spokesperson for North Tyneside Council, which release the footage.

They also ncouraged people watching them to be respectful of the animals.

Marine wildlife charity ORCA said the dolphins in the video looked like bottlenose dolphins.

The charity studies the creatures along a ferry route from Port Tyne to IJmuiden, Holland, where wildlife officers and volunteers have recorded 32 sightings so far this year.

Between 2014 and 2018, ORCA teams recorded a total of 151 individual bottlenose dolphins, meaning this year’s figure is already higher than an average year.

“Bottlenose dolphins are instantly recognisable and a real treat to see out at sea – not only are they lots of fun but sightings can be added to our long term research and help better protect whales and dolphins in the North Sea,” Anna Bunney, ORCA education coordinator, said.

“We know recent weeks have seen a lot of sightings of these animals in the area, so our teams on board the DFDS ferries from Newcastle to Ijmuiden will be keeping their eyes peeled in the hope of spotting plenty more.”

Last year was the busiest for bottlenose dolphin sightings along the route, with 50 individuals seen between March and October, according to ORCA.