A family who watched a dolphin leaping in front of their kayaks were stunned after it caught a huge fish – and dropped it in front of them for their DINNER.
The group had spent several minutes enjoying the mischievous mammal which started swimming around their canoes off the British coast.
But to their astonishment the friendly animal then dived down and dropped a massive cod next to Lucy Watkins, 14.
The dolphin then resurfaced and began nudging the whopping 10lbs fish towards the stunned teenager.
Lucy and her grandparents wondered whether they should pick up the floating offering in case the dolphin wanted it for himself.
But the dolphin then resurfaced seconds later with his own fish – this time a seabass – and began tucking in.
The family gratefully scooped up the cod, which weighed a massive 10lbs, before taking it home to nearby Combe Martin in Devon to cook for their tea.
Lucy said: “He definitely wanted me to have his fish. He first dropped it 20ft away but then pushed it to within 5ft of my kayak.
“Everyone was watching on the beach and we caused quite a stir when we paddled in with the cod.”
Schoolgirl Lucy Watkins was astonished by the friendly dolphin which gave her dinner.
She said: “It was amazing to see the dolphin. I have always had a love for them so going out to see one was very exciting.
“As we got out of Combe Martin bay we started to see the dolphin splashing around I couldn’t believe my eyes it was so much bigger then I thought it would be.
“Once it started going under my kayak I felt comfortable with it and so I started playing with it, splashing my hands and feet in the water.
“I made me happy enough, and then all of a sudden it gave me the fish.
“To have this awesome creature which I had loved since I was little to give me a fish that it would normally have for dinner made me feel on top of the world.
“When it was time to leave I didn’t want to go.”
Grandma Nina added: “It was as if he was saying to Lucy ‘Don’t worry, now I’ve got a fish to play with and so have you. This is mine for my tea, you have that one for yours.’
“He was just so playful and content to be around us. Lucy was dangling her fingers in the water and he seemed to be attracted by that.
“If I hadn’t seen it myself I’d never have believed it. My theory is that he was lonely and wanted human company. He was with us for about two hours.
“It seemed rude to refuse him so we took the fish and had cod and chips for supper.
It was massive – I’ve still got half in the freezer.”
Lucy was paddling off Combe Martin Bay with Mike and Nina, both, 52, when they encountered the dolphin.
The animal has become so popular with locals they’ve christened him Dave.
After putting on an impromptu ‘aquabatics’ display by circling and diving beneath them, Dave surfaced clasping a giant cod between his jaws and dropped it beside Lucy’s kayak.
Dave the dolphin is a regular site off Combe Martin Bay, where he frequently entertains families and tourists in the pretty coastal beautyspot.
Nina, a swimming club coach, said the July 25 sighting was the highlight of Lucy’s school holidays.
She said: “We feel so privileged to have been there. Lucy loves dolphins and has always wanted to swim with them.
“Well she didn’t get to swim with this one, but it is the first time she has seen one out of captivity.
“With the crystal clear water, it was such an experience.”
A spokesman for Whale and Dolphin Conservation said: “This is a very interesting account.
“There are many examples worldwide of dolphins interacting with humans. We would just make our usual appeal for people to generally keep their distance.
“Dolphins can sometimes become distracted by humans, lose their awareness of nearby motor boats and sustain injuries.”
I am sorry to be a killjoy, but people should be cautioned not to seek out dolphins and play with them as they are still large wild animals and cases of individuals being accidentally bitten do exist.
There are also the questions of disturbing them in their natural environment, a) recently a juvenile was killed by an idiot powerboat going too close, and b) dolphins and porpoises who become separated from their own kind and too habituated to human company suffer; again, often from accidents, e.g. propellor cuts.
Worse is the type of de-valuation of them as human entertainment or plaything that goes on in Sea World type enterprises where dolphins are taken from the wild, often via slaughter campaigns, and then imprisoned in solitary confinement where they suffer terribly and are starved into doing tricks.
Please do not pay to visit such places, “swim with dolphin” or even entirely bogus “dolphin healing” ventures. They cause intense suffering to the animals.
In Australia, where such animals are more common guidelines are in place to protect them.
Do not approach closer than 100m to any whale or 50m to any dolphin.
Operate a caution zone for vessels within 300m of a whale and 150m of a dolphin. No more than three vessels are allowed, and no wake speeds within this zone.
Approach whales and dolphins from parallel to and slightly to the rear.
When leaving whales or dolphins, move off at a slow (no wake) speed to the outer limit of the caution zone (300m) from the closest animal.
Keep a lookout and avoid disturbance to mother whales or dolphins and their calves. Mother and calf will be close together and the calves are sometimes difficult to see.
If there is a sudden change in whale or dolphin behaviour, move away immediately at a slow steady pace.
Do not get into the water if you see a whale or dolphin. If you’re already in the water do not disturb, chase or block the path of a whale or dolphin and if possible, return to your vessel or the shore.
GREAT INFO !
I HOPE EVERYONE READS YOUR COMMENT !!
Yes you are a killjoy, and you should have read the article better – the dolphin approached them. It’s a free world for dolphins too you know. If it chooses to approach people in kayaks, it’s entitled too. What were they meant to do, paddle away as quickly as possible? Haven’t you ever seen images of dolphins surfing along with boats? They like the interaction, they’re not forced to do it. Get over it. How was the dolphin harmed in all of this? Animal worship is the new religion for many people.
How about “Dolphins are sentient beings, and like humans, some of them can be real jerks.”
Oh I dont think your a kill joy just and absolute numbscull until you interact with dolphins on the dolphins approach you tell me you will run ,swim paddle move away in the other direction WoW you need to go out and see a few dolphins yourself .This is an interaction approached by the dolphin to which the lady will remember for the rest of her life ….I am lucky enough to have had many interactions not once did I search to do so. Or will I search for Dolphins Im in Oz and love to see them like any other creature .But your words are sensible. Sick of people with negative comments to one’s life moments share by a lady how wonderful.Oh and by the way moving off slow can encourage the dolphins to follow because they enjoy the dispersion of water made by the boat.
We understand that this is a rare and lucky event and that it is unlikely to happen again, but thanks for trying.
Now that’s some fresh fish! I see the glimmer of dolphin intelligence behind this odd gesture. How did the dolphin know that Lucy would like a fish? Obviously there is more going on here than meets the eye.
Sounds a bit fishy: where are the bite marks on the cod and how can a dolphin catch such a large fish?…
Dolphins can be 600-800lbs or more so a 10lb. fish is no problem for them to catch.
Needed a smile today, and this story is just beautiful. Lucky girl, happy dolphin, everything is right with the world..!
Got to get me one of them there dolphins. No other way I have been able to catch a bloody fish. Guess the dolphin is a bit smarter than me eh ? No need to answer Think I know…… Very smart animal. Never look a gift dolphin in the mouth or something like that
Has anyone stopped to think this intelligent creature may be giving it to her to check……for radiation. As so many fish have washed up and died and Fukishima still has its leak going on, spreading throughout the worlds ocean. Maybe this dolphin wanted the world to know that the ocean is no long safe and NOT TO EAT ANYTHING from it any more. Please check all caught fish from now on with gieger counters, you might find Im right and it takes a fish to tell you.
So many negative people in this world, I was feeling so good after reading this story and then I read the comments it’s terrible you people are so negative. Life is too short just enjoy the story and SMILE
así somos; seres humanos. Irónico, ¿verdad?
You are so right 🙂
This story made me smile, these creatures are intelligent beyond our understanding, I had the privilege of being on a dive and at our safety stop a dolphin came and ‘played’ with us, swimming round and blowing air rings below us to catch us in them, wouldn’t have minded a fish for dinner though…… these beautiful, intelligent, kind and caring animals need to be protected and kept in their natural habitat, here we can see how joyous they can be. I agree with save the tajji dolphins and that any wild animal, land based or sea based should not be disturbed in their natural environment, they should be left alone. But if the animal chooses to interact with you, be calm and be humbled by the experience. Maybe this dolphin was trying to show the world that he matters, that he is not a stupid animal, he has thoughts, feelings and empathy. Humans could learn a little empathy from animals.
bullshit. Atlantic Cod are a deep water fish, and I mean DEEP. There is no way that a dolphin would ever catch one unless it was dead, which by the way, the one in the photo looks rancid.