DOLPHINS have been spotted on the Blackpool coast this week after a period of warm weather brought them to our shores.

Blackpool Council shared the photos, taken by a photographer known on Twitter as @PositiveLee7 - Positive Blackpool Photography.

In the photos, a dolphin can be seen breaking the surface of the Irish Sea, with its fin poking out from the waves.

They were spotted near the northern part of Blackpool, not far from Gynn Square area.

Since sharing the picture on social media, hundreds of people have been liking, sharing and commenting on the snaps.

Angie Stewart said: “I see at least one every year near the Gynn area.”

Another said: “This is very exciting.”

If you wanted to spot a dolphin for yourself, a beach patrol manager has issued some tips and advice.

They said:

  • Weather is key - warm and sunny climate
  • Steady, calm tides are ideal
  • June, particularly the first few weeks, is the most likely time they’ll be spotted.

It’s not the first time a dolphin has been spotted on the coast of Lancashire.

 

In 2021, an adorable video emerged of dolphins diving in and out of the sea on the Fleetwood coast.

In the video, several dolphins can be seen surfacing above the water and some were clearly spotted diving in and out of the waves.

The Irish Sea is home to several species of the dolphin family, including the common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, and Risso's dolphin.

A spokesperson for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust said: “Bottlenose dolphins are our largest and most common dolphins, seen frequently around the UK and in the Irish Sea.

“It was only a few years ago that a pod of more than 100 bottlenose dolphins was spotted in Liverpool Bay.

"They are a sociable animal and feed on fish, hunting in groups. We do get quite a few sightings over summer and at other times of the year.”

According to the trust, dolphins aren’t the only aquatic animals spotted in Lancashire’s coastal areas.

They explained: “We have had reports of dolphins, porpoise, basking sharks, turtles and a couple of humpback whales in the Irish Sea over the past few years.”