A couple in Cambridgeshire were taking a walk by the river when they were startled to see a dolphin in the water which happens to be some 13 miles away from its habitat, the sea. Richard Priest and his wife Serena were surprised by the unusual sight in River Nene.
Priest filmed the scene on August 23 as the dolphin glided along the surface of the river. " I didn't believe it was a dolphin at first, it was such a shock," Priest, who works as a manager with the Tesco was quoted as saying by The Dailymail.
Priest said he was going for a walk with hi wife when he saw a big ripple and a dolphin fin emerging out of the water surface.
"I thought it was strange and the dolphin must be lost as I have never known a dolphin to be in the river so I reported it to Sea Watch Foundation who were very surprised," he said. The Sea Watch Foundation monitors cetaceans confirmed that it was a common dolphin and said it is unusual for a common dolphin to go up river and is out of its usual habitat in this area. The experts say that chances are that the dolphin must have lost its way or must have been unwell. However, Priest said the fin seemed to be in healthy condition.
This species of dolphins can measure up to 2.5 metres long and weigh up to 235kg. They usually live in deep water and feed on fish there. According to study, nearly 29 species of cetaceans, including dolphins and whales, have been sighted in the UK and Ireland since 2000.
Sea animals have been spotted in unusual places over the last few months. Last month, a pod of few dolphins were seen putting on an acrobatic display for tourists as they swam off Northumberland's coast. In January, a sperm whale was seen in the Thames Estuary and was seen in The Swale.
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