DOLPHIN seen in Cambridgeshire river 13 MILES from the sea

A couple taking a walk by their local river were shocked to see a dolphin surfacing in the water – 13 miles away from the sea. Richard Priest, 32, and his wife Serena, 41, were strolling along the edge of River Nene in their home town of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, when they spotted a fin in the water. In footage filmed by Mr Priest on August 23, a dolphin can be seen gliding along the surface of the river.  Richard Priest, 32, and his wife Serena, 41, were strolling along the edge of River Nene in their home town of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, when they spotted a fin in the waterTesco manager Mr Priest said: ‘I didn’t believe it was a dolphin at first, it was such a shock. ‘I was going for a walk with my wife and just by luck, I saw a big ripple in the river, then the dolphin fin popped out the water.’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.’ The Sea Watch Foundation monitors cetaceans in British and Irish waters and after watching Mr Priest’s video, they confirmed it was indeed a common dolphin. Sea Watch Foundation said it’s more unusual for a common dolphin to go up river and is out of its usual habitat in this area. It tends to be porpoises who travel up river.They feed on fish which are found in quite deep waters, although they do chase mackerel or herring.  It is also uncommon to have common dolphins in this region as they come into the north sea a bit but not very often.   They added that it is possible that the dolphin lost its way or it’s unwell, as common dolphins are social animals. The common dolphin species can measure up to 2.5 metres long and weigh up to 235kg and usually are found to be living in deep water.  Mr Priest (right, who was walking with his wife Serena, left) said he couldn’t believe it was a dolphin at first What are common dolphins?  Common dolphins usually live offshore, but they often come closer to feed. They are a very sociable breed and are therefore usually found in groups, leaping from the water.  Common dolphins are mainly found off the South and West coasts and offshore Common dolphins mainly eat fish and work together to herd their prey.They are found all around the UK but most commonly off the South and West coasts and offshore, and can be seen all year round.  These dolphins are dark grey above and whiter below, with a distinctive hourglass pattern on their sides. Their dorsal fin is tall and triangular and curves slightly backwards. Common Dolphins can grow up to 2.7m and weigh up to 150kg. On average, they live up to 35 years. They are protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Source: The Wildlife Trusts  Up to 29 species of cetaceans, which include dolphins and whales, have been sighted in the UK and Ireland since 2000, according to the charity. Mr Priest has claimed that the dolphin seemed to be okay but the charity were concerned and reported the sighting to British Divers Marine Life Rescue. He added: ‘The charity were concerned but they did say that most of the time, the dolphins do find their own way home.’Last month, a pod of at least three dolphins were spotted putting on an acrobatic display for tourists as they swam off Northumberland’s coast. In January this year, a sperm whale was spotted in the Thames Estuary and was seen in The Swale, a stretch of water between the Isle of Sheppey and the Kent mainland. A crew of fishermen were surprised last month when a humpback whale leapt out of the sea close to their boat in Lyme Bay, Devon.  In August last year, a lone kayaker feared for his safety as he watched a humpback whale leap out of the water as he paddled just eight miles off the coast of Cornwall. In recent years, whales have died after being washed ashore on beaches in the UK, with three happening between October and November last year. Last year in October, a humpback whale – nicknamed Hessy – swam into the River Thames.She travelling back and forth over a stretch of five miles after it was first sighted near Dartford Bridge in Kent. She died after colliding with a ship which left her with severe injuries to her jaw which meant she was unable to eat. A second whale was found dead just ten days later in the same stretch of water. The following month, a third whale – this time a Minke whale – was found washed up under London’s Battersea Bridge.   14 species of dolphin and whale that can be spotted off British coast Common dolphin: They are found all around the UK but most commonly off the South and West coasts and offshore, and can be seen all year round. They can grow up to 2.7m and weigh up to 150kg. On average, they live up to 35 years.  These dolphins are dark grey above and whiter below, with a distinctive hourglass pattern on their sides. Their dorsal fin is tall and triangular and curves slightly backwards.Bottlenose dolphin: They are found all around the UK and are common in the Moray Firth, Cardigan Bay and off Cornwall. They can grow up to 4m and weigh up to 500kg. On average, they live 45-50 years. They are often spotted close to the shore and alone or in small groups. Harbour porpoise: This species is found all around the UK. They grow between 1.4m and 2m and weigh 55-65kg. On average, they live up to 20 years. They can easily be spotted close to the shore in shallow water. They will usually be alone or in small groups and are shy, so avoid boats and jet skis. Minke whale: Minke whales can be spotted in near-shore waters around the UK, although they are rare in the Southern North Sea and English Channel. They are quite a small species of whale, measuring around 7-9m and weighing 5-10 tonnes. On average, they live 40-50 years. They are generally found alone or in small groups feeding on schools of fish or krill. Killer whale: A group can be seen across the west coast of the UK and Ireland while a separate population are seasonal visitors to Northern Scotland, particularly the Shetland and Orkney Islands. They can grow up to 9.8m and weigh up to 10 tonnes. On average, they live up to 90 years. You can spot a killer whale by their black and white markings. However, with just eight resident in UK waters, seeing them is incredibly rare. Risso’s dolphin: Sightings of Risso’s dolphins in the UK are most common around Scotland, the Outer Hebrides and the Isle of Man, but they can also be spotted around Cornwall, south west and north west Wales and Ireland. The species can grow up to 4m long and live between 20 and 40 years. They enjoy deep offshore waters and have been known to slap their heads or tails on the surface when they breach water. Humpback whale: There are sporadic sightings of Humpback whales around the UK. This species can grow up to 18m and weigh up to 40 tonnes. On average, they live up to 50 years. In UK seas, they are usually spotted alone or in pairs and are recognisable by their unique knobbly head and the long, wing-like front flippers which they often raise and slap on the surface. White-beaked dolphin: Populations can regularly be found in Lyme Bay, around the Hebrides and seasonally off the North East England coast. They can grow up to 3.2m long and weigh up to 350kg. It is not know how long they tend to live for. They are a sociable species and are usually found in groups of five and 10. Northern bottlenose whale: This species has recently been spotted in North East Scotland, Eastern England, South West Scotland and Inner Hebrides and Northern Ireland. They can grow up to 9.8m and have a bulbous forehead and a dolphin-like, short beak.   Atlantic white-sided dolphin: This species can grow up to 2.8m and have been spotted recently in Shetland, Orkney and North Scotland. They are active at the surface of the sea and commonly breach, although they are less agile than common and striped dolphins. Fin whale: They have been spotted recently in eastern England, north west England and the Republic of Ireland.  They can grow up to 20.5m and have a V-shaped head with a single central ridge. Long-finned pilot whale: This species have been seen around Shetland and the Republic of Ireland recently. This whale has a square, bulbous head and are slow swimming with a low fin and long flippers. Beluga whale: A beluga whale is also known as the White Whale and the Sea Canary. There has recently been a sighting of one in Northern Ireland, according to Sea Watch Foundation. They grow up to 4m on average, but can reach 5m. They spend summer in shallow bays and estuaries. Sowerby’s beaked whale: This species is very difficult to identify at sea. In calm waters, they may lie at the surface allowing one to see the rounded head, prominent beak. Sea Watch Foundation has recorded a possible sighting of this species in eastern England. Source: Sea Watch Foundation and The Wildlife Trusts 
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