How Dolphins Have Given UK Tourism a Boost

While the sunny summer weather has doubtless also played a part, the Daily Mirror has given over a number of column inches to a new tourist attraction off the north east Coast of England – a large pod of bottlenose dolphins.

Tourist bosses in Scarborough (temporarily and a little optimistically rebranded as Scarbados by The Mirror) are saying that this summer has been one of its best in the past 60 years, with holidaymakers now coming to the resort specifically to watch the dolphins. Earlier this week, around 225 dolphins were spotted, having travelled southwards from their more usual location in the Moray Firth seeking prey species such as mackerel and sprat.

Conservation measures in the north sea are also making it more hospitable in a range of ways. We’ve previously highlighted the ban on sandeel fishing which is a key dolphin prey species and this, along with the designation of Marine Protected Areas and SAC’s for bottlenose inn Wales and Scotland is almost certainly having positive knock-on effects on population and range.

Marine Drive in Scarborough, a lofty observation spot with a 180 degree view of the north sea has become an unofficial gathering point for dolphin watching, with the Mirror’s reporter excitedly writing that within three minutes of parking her car she had seen as many as 20.

Local spotting groups have been set up, and previously identified individuals are being recognised more frequently, including Crumble, Captain Hook, Simone, Rheum, Soo, Bunsen and the eldest Runny Paint, aged 40, a female with a recognisably blotchy dorsal fin. Two dolphins, Toad and Mark, have become local celebrities as they are slightly disabled and lag behind the main pod, but are described as being “happy and healthy otherwise”.

As with any emerging attraction like this, it’s always something of a concern that measures aren’t brought in at sufficient speed to catch up with a fast-developing tourist attraction. The last thing these dolphins need are to be chased down by boy-racers on jetskis or speedboats. But certainly for now, there’s recognition that this is a welcome and unexpected tourist asset and one worth protecting and sustaining.

It’s not every day a couple of hundred bottlenose dolphins swim in and become the end-of-the pier spectacle of the season, and they’re proving to be the most charismatic attraction the resort has seen in years. And while it’s heartening to see tourists flocking to catch a glimpse, it’s also a gentle nudge: if we want the dolphins to keep returning, we need to keep the welcome mat clean, the sea quiet, and the fish plentiful.