Famous dolphin swimming in Scotland

This video says about itself:

26 April 2014

A lone bottlenose dolphin – This is a well known dolphin that has been named Clet. He is well known and was first documented in France. In recent years he has spent time on the South Devon, Cornish, Isles of Scilly and Welsh coasts. It is important to be very careful when around lone bottlenose dolphins, they often choose to interact with boats, but poor/thoughtless boat handling can lead to them being severely injured or even killed. It is not advisable to swim with them as they are much more powerful than you and have a habit of trapping people in the water. Always keep in mind that they are not your plaything.

From Wildlife Extra:

Internationally famous dolphin turns up in Scotland

An internationally famous solitary Bottlenose Dolphin known as Clet has been identified making a surprise appearance in Scotland’s Sound of Mull, according to researchers from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

The rare sighting of a lone bottlenose dolphin following a ferry between Oban and the Isle of Mull triggered some rapid detective work at the conservation charity.

Bottlenose dolphins are not unusual in the Hebrides, even during winter – but the species usually occurs in small groups, with individuals rarely being seen alone.

By studying the dolphin’s distinctively scarred dorsal fin and using photo identification techniques, the Trust’s experts identified the animal as one that made international headlines with its unusual behaviour when it was last seen in September. That was in Galway in Ireland, some 600 kilometres away from the Sound of Mull.

“To our knowledge, this is the first time that Clet has been recorded in Scotland, and in fact this is the furthest north he has been recorded to date,” says Dr Conor Ryan, Sightings Officer at Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.

“Bottlenose dolphins are usually considered to be resident to certain areas, so long-distance international movements such as this one has made challenge our understanding of this species, and also challenge our ability to protect them using Marine Protected Areas alone.”

The male dolphin was named by locals from Cap Sizun, Brittany in France, where he habitually follow[ed] the fishing boats between 2008 and 2010. He then travelled to Cornwall, Devon and Wales before appearing in West Cork in Ireland and spent several weeks interacting with boats.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group then recorded his movements along Ireland’s west coast to Valentia, County Kerry.

The last recorded sighting of Clet was on 28 September 2014 at Inis Óirr off Galway Bay. Although not confirmed, he was thought to be responsible for a dolphin attack on a group of swimmers in Salthill, Galway.

The RNLI ensured that the swimmers were able to get to shore without harm, but unfortunately the incident resulted in some sensational news headlines.

Solitary dolphins such as Clet do not pose a threat to people in boats, but can be aggressive towards swimmers.

The biggest danger to solitary dolphins is injury from boats, as the animals appear to seek out vessels to interact with. The deep gash on Clet’s dorsal fin may be from coming to close to boat propellers.

Pádraig Whooley, Sightings Officer for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, says: “We think it’s remarkable that Clet’s movements can be tracked to the Irish south and west coasts from France via English and Welsh waters, using images from the general public.

“The addition of Scotland after a two-month interval brings his known tally of passport stamps to five countries and counting, and shows the need for international collaboration when trying to monitor these highly mobile marine mammals.”

Wildlife photographer Nic Davies, who recorded Clet close to shore from Craignure on the Isle of Mull this week, said: “I was out photographing otters when I heard a loud blow sound just out from the shore, and then I spotted the dolphin heading at speed towards a departing ferry.”

Clet may remain in the Sound of Mull area for weeks or even months, as he has done in other areas. Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust is asking boat owners to be respectful and to give Clet the space he needs.

That way, hopefully the dolphin will continue to enthral onlookers from the shore and from the ferries he has been bow riding in the Sound of Mull.

Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust asks the public to report sightings of all whales, dolphins and porpoises – collectively known as cetaceans – and basking sharks at www.hwdt.org.

The charity’s extensive Community Sightings Network uses such sightings as a key way of strengthening understanding of the local marine environment and of these spectacular animals.