A group of swimmers and paddleboarders in Hayle Harbour, Cornwall, had an extraordinary experience on the evening of 22 August when a wild dolphin approached them and played nearby for several minutes. The dolphin, known locally as Nick, swam within inches of the people in the water, splashing them and waving its tail.
Helen Williams, a resident of Hayle, was initially sceptical when she received a phone call about the dolphin while queuing for chips. “I didn’t believe them at first,” she said. However, the dolphin was real and stayed in the harbour until around 7pm. Ms Williams captured footage of Nick swimming close to her nieces and nephews, describing it as “a once-in-a-lifetime experience”.
Another witness, Antony Silcock, who was fishing from the quayside, said he saw the dolphin surface suddenly. “It caught me quite by surprise,” he recalled. “I realised very quickly that it was an absolutely beautiful dolphin.” He noted that one swimmer was startled when the dolphin nudged him from below, but the animal appeared to want to play.
Local marine wildlife experts arrived to check on the dolphin’s welfare. Initially, there were concerns that a zip tie was caught on its face, but the coastguard confirmed it was a white scar, which helped identify the animal as Nick. Experts advise that people should not approach dolphins or other marine creatures if they encounter them in the wild.
