Dolphins spotted in the River Great Ouse in King's Lynn

Dolphins have been spotted in a river in Lynn, much to the surprise of those who saw them.

Charlie Racher was walking with her friends and their dog on Cross Bank Road at the docks in Lynn yesterday at around 6pm when a man asked them if they had seen the creatures in the River Great Ouse.

“I don't think we really understood what he had said at first but we looked to where he pointed and suddenly, there were two of them, one smaller than the other so we guessed it was a mother and her baby, surfacing and going under over and over again looking for food the boats had brought in earlier,” Charlie said.

“We stood there for so long just trying to take it all in.

“It was so surreal but so beautiful – it was an incredible experience that I never expected and doubt I'll see again.”

The man who pointed them out to Charlie and her friends said in 50 years this had been the first time he had seen dolphins in the Ouse.

Charlie’s post of a video of the dolphins in the King’s Lynn Free Discussion Facebook group has received hundreds of reactions, shares and comments from locals.

A further video from another resident, Luke Taylor, was also shared to the group showing that dolphins had also been spotted further down the Ouse at Salters Lode near Downham in the early hours of this morning.

Luke agreed that it had been an incredible sight.

He said: “I was doing my daily meditation at 4.30am and was amazingly interrupted with a splashing sound to turn and see two beautiful dolphins swimming around, they swam up and down for around 30 minutes.”

Lynn-based Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority confirmed with the Lynn News that the creatures were indeed dolphins, following some talk on social media that they might be porpoises.

They said: “While it is hard to be sure of the exact species from the photo, they are likely either juvenile bottlenose dolphins, like the pod we saw in the area a fortnight ago (in North Norfolk), or adult common dolphins from a different pod.”

While dolphins are not a common sight in East Anglia, they can often be spotted in other parts of the British Isles, including Cornwall and Ireland.

“Anybody wishing to seek more information is best examining dedicated resources like those from Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (https://uk.whales.org/),” the authority added.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and if anyone wants to report further sightings, please contact either ourselves or British Divers Marine Life Rescue (https://bdmlr.org.uk/), their rescue hotline being 01825 765546 if you think there is cause for concern.

“We suggest the public enjoy this rare opportunity while it lasts.”

Dan Goldsmith, of Marine and Wildlife Rescue, told the Lynn News that they are believed to be common dolphins.

“It’s not unheard of – occasionally we get porpoises and that’s completely normal – but it’s quite nice to see,” he said.

Dan has warned anyone who does spot them to not interfere with them, but to report any concerns for their welfare to the charity.

“If anyone is thinking of looking for them, please be respectful of them and give them space, do not engage with them.

“Allow them to do what they do naturally. Enjoy seeing them – it’s a bit different.”

If anyone has concerns regarding the dolphins’ welfare, they can call the Marine and Wildlife Rescue team on 01692 650338.