'Superpod' of dolphins spotted as hundreds seen fishing off Sussex coast
WATCH ITV News Meridian's Tom Savvides reporting near Eastbourne.
Hundreds of dolphins have been spotted off the coast of Sussex.
They were filmed by a fishing crew from Eastbourne, who were amazed to see so many of the mammals in one place.
It's the latest in a series of recent sightings but it's believed to be the largest gathering of dolphins seen in the South East.
When Jake Davison and his fishing partner set off in a boat, they had no idea they'd come across this pod of dolphins near Eastbourne.
Hundreds of dolphins playfully swimming alongside the boat.
Jake films some of his fishing expeditions, sometimes using an underwater camera - but he's never seen anything like this.
He said said: "The sheer amount of them was incredible. I've never seen that many in a pod before. The most I've ever seen might have been ten or fifteen in a pod. It was magical, they're magical creatures.
"We were just about to move mark to a different place with a bit more tide so that we could get a few more fish and as we were steaming off, we saw them. Then we went towards them and they started playing. They love interacting, it's amazing."
Marine experts believe these dolphins, like the humans on the boats in this part of the sea, were fishing.
Thea Taylor, The Sussex Dolphin Project, said: "Dolphins form these groups called superpods and it's when lots of different groups come together to feed. It's typically in an area where there's lots of fish so it's a great sign that there's fish in the area."
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