Hundreds of dolphins caught on camera off the Pembrokeshire coast
Incredible footage shows a huge pod of dolphins off the Pembrokeshire coast.
As many as 500 dolphins were captured on camera by Lloyd Nelmes as he and his girlfriend took a boat trip off the coast of Strumble Head.
Video captured by the boater shows the lively dolphins getting up close and 'bowriding' - which sees them positioning themselves to be pushed forward by the circulating water caused by boats.
"The dolphins were very keen to bowride at any opportunity, with almost 10 individuals at some points under our tiny boat," Lloyd shared on Facebook.
He added: "The Stena then came in and they went over to it, bow riding and using the energy from the ship to jump what looked like almost the height of half the ship! Amazing to see!
"They were chasing mackerel I think, pushed a few to the surface and managed to catch a few for myself too."
Lloyd felt as though the dolphins were ready and waiting for him and his girlfriend as they took the trip.He said: "The common dolphins came to us, bow riding, jumping around us, it was as if they were waiting for us and wanted to play. They were everywhere, jumping around us, around 10 bow riding under our small boat!
"It was really exciting and amazing to see, the younger ones really do love to play around and jump."
Spotting dolphins, whales and porpoises at sea can be an exciting experience but Sea Trust reminds anyone hoping to catch a glimpse themselves to adhere to the following advice and local marine codes.
Keep your distance. Remain 100m away (200m if another boat is in the area).
Never drive head on to, or move between, scatter or separate dolphins. If unsure of their movements, simply stop and put the engine into neutral.
Never chase, drive directly towards or encircle them. Always allow an escape route.
Let them approach you. On many occasions dolphins will bow-ride your boat, make sure you maintain a steady speed and course.
Take extra special care when around young animals. The smallest disturbance risks disrupting mother-calf bonds and may expose inexperienced young to stress and possible boat strikes.
Move away slowly if you notice any signs of disturbance or avoidance behaviours.
Please remember, not only do boats pose a threat of injury to the animal from collisions or propeller strikes. The noise produced by engines can disrupt their daily behaviours including their ability to communicate with each other which is essential when navigating underwater.