A LOCAL resident was surprised after spotting what appeared to be a common dolphin in the River Wye.

Patrick Cal Callaby saw the marine mammal swimming in the river last week in lower Chepstow and at first wasn’t sure what it was.

“I saw movement under the water, suspected it was a seal, as they are frequent visitors to this area of the Wye, often passing through on their way to Monmouth, possibly even further upriver.

“Then I saw a dorsal fin, very unlike seal dorsal fin. At first, I thought it was a Porpoise, they are not unheard of in this area although they are not frequent. Very difficult to get shots as their time out of the water is very short, and it’s impossible to tell where they will next surface.

“A bit of patience and luck I managed to get something useable.”

A common dolphin is a small marine mammal typically found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world, which is why it made it even more unusual for it to be spotted in a river. Lots of people were surprised to see the photos of what appeared to be a common dolphin shared on Facebook.

“Wow what an incredible sighting,” said one person on Facebook. “Amazing wildlife on our doorstep,” said someone else.

Another question raised is what might have brought the dolphin to the River Wye as this is an uncommon location for them to be in. Dolphins sometimes enter rivers when they are following prey such as fish during high tides or even become temporarily disorientated by estuarine channels and strong tidal currents.

But for anyone who managed to see the dolphin in the River Wye is likely to remember the rare experience.