Lisa and Peter were travelling from Christchurch to Swanage when they spotted a pod of about ten dolphins near The Needles.
They switched off their boat’s engine to avoid disturbing the animals and were joined by several jet skiers who also cut their engines.
Lisa said: “It was absolutely lovely seeing them in their natural habitat, just doing their own thing. It was quite emotional for me – they came so close you felt like you could touch them.”
The couple saw the dolphins at about 12.15pm on Sunday August 10 and said they stayed for 20 minutes watching them play in the water.
Lisa said: “They were playing and coming up to and going under the boat.
“They were really interacting with the jet skiers, one of the people actually came up to us and said they were knocking the bottom of the jet ski.”
Peter, who has been boating for more than 30 years, said it was the first time he had seen dolphins in UK waters.
“I’ve seen them overseas, but it’s not the same as seeing them in your home waters,” he said. “It’s really special.”
Lisa has swum with dolphins in Mexico before, but said the wild encounter was far more meaningful.
“It was quite emotional for me,” she said. “Seeing them in their natural habitat, just doing their own thing, was amazing.”
Lisa and Peter (Image: Submitted)
The couple said they followed best practice by keeping their engines off while the dolphins were nearby, to avoid any risk from propellers.
Eventually, the pod moved off towards the Isle of Wight and the couple continued on their journey to Swanage.
Peter and Lisa, who both live in Christchurch, say they hope to see more marine life on future trips, including during an upcoming weekend in Weymouth.
“You never know what you might come across,” Peter added.