Common dolphin are spotted on the majority of our offshore trips and are always a delight as they are real crowd pleasers. They will often make a beeline for the boat if they spot us from a distance flying, right out of the water with incredible speed and, if in the mood, will bow ride and play around the boat. The common dolphin is a pelagic species and, as such, they are not resident in our waters despite being frequent visitors, and we know they breed here as we often pick up with groups of females with young.
Whilst there is a lot we still don’t know about dolphins, what we do know suggests they are extremely intelligent, sentient beings. They live in a world of sound, using echo location to navigate and find their prey. They also use a complex communication system, which takes the form of whistles and squeals, which enables them to communicate with other individuals in the pod. Some research suggests that they actually have ‘names’ for each other in the form of a specific whistle. They use this system, coupled with their strong social structure, in order to hunt. This is a team effort and very effective, as they all work together to herd the fish before