A family were out for their morning swim when a huge bottlenose dolphin joined them in the water, and the cheeky creature was not afraid to ask for some ‘cuddles’Bethany Gavaghan Under 35s writer, SWNSHollyStafford (Holly Stafford) and Liam Doyle
13:40, 15 Aug 2025
Dolphin swims with family
A family were left gobsmacked when a playful dolphin joined them for their morning swim, leaping around them and seemingly asking for belly rubs.
Lynda MacDonald, 50, along with her partner, son and his girlfriend, embarked on their 6am dip at Lyme Bay, Dorset on 3 August. There are also often lots of dolphins spotted around Wales, like this time a lucky group of locals spotted several pods of dolphins off the south Wales coast. You can read more about that here.
Shortly after the family in Dorset dived off their boat for a splash, they were joined by a large bottlenose dolphin.
Photos capture the cheeky mammal appearing to ask for cuddles and even guiding swimmers across the waves with its snout. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
Lynda, who works in marketing and splits her time between West London and Dorset, said: “It was a magical moment, I’m so glad I caught it on camera.
“Out of nowhere, the dolphin immediately approached us and wanted to join in on the action. It was friendly and playful. It even started guiding members of our group along the water with its beak.”, reports the Mirror.
“It was not distressed by our presence and was very confident around us. I’ve seen a dolphin before, but this is something I’ll remember forever.”
While dolphins are often associated with photos of families at sun-kissed holiday destinations, they frequently appear on UK shores, according to the Dorset Wildlife Trust.
Dolphin swims with family
There are 28 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises living in British coastal waters, several of which have been spotted in Dorset.
Bottlenose dolphins tend to spend more time closer to shore than other species, making them easier to spot from both land and sea.
“The sea belongs to dolphins- we were lucky to spend a moment with it,” Lynda said. “You can hear the footage audio that the dolphin was happy to interact with us. But we were mindful; we played for five minutes and then let it go on its way.”
The family were delighted when they were joined by a surprise visitor
Lynda and her family’s remarkable encounter with the dolphins follows after a pod of the marine mammals created “quite a stir” when they appeared off the Yorkshire coastline. The group, believed to consist of 225 dolphins, emerged in late July near Scarborough, and was thought to have journeyed south from Moray Firth.
Fred Tiles, an amateur wildlife enthusiast who observed the pod as they frolicked through the waters, told the BBC they had ventured “really close to shore and Marine Drive is filled with people with binoculars and cameras watching them breaching and throwing fish”.
Grant Ellis, from The Sea Mammal Research Unit, told the broadcaster oceanic conditions were probably the reason behind their decision to migrate southwards. He said: “There have been a lot of marine heatwaves going on and it could also be that environmental conditions in Yorkshire are improving – it’s something we’re investigating.”