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New Quay: Bottlenose dolphins kill dolphin calf New Quay: Bottlenose dolphins spotted killing dolphin calf
(32 minutes later)
It is very common for bottlenose dolphins to attack porpoises but not a common dolphin calfIt is very common for bottlenose dolphins to attack porpoises but not a common dolphin calf
A common dolphin calf was killed by four bottlenose dolphins in New Quay. A common dolphin calf has been killed by four bottlenose dolphins in an attack that could become more common as the oceans warm, a cetacean expert has warned.
The Seawatch Foundation, which looks after dolphins in the area, was called to investigate the incident on Thursday at 18:10 BST. People on a dolphin spotting trip from New Quay, Ceredigion, were left "hysterical" by the incident on Thursday at 18:10 BST in Cardigan Bay, where the calf was thrown out of the water.
The incident, which has been described as an "incredibly rare encounter", could be seen from the shore of Cardigan Bay, Ceredigion. Climate change means common dolphin numbers are increasing in the area, where resident bottlenose dolphins will hunt them as a form of "play", said Matthew Westfield from the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP).
The organisation loaded the calf onto the boat to do an autopsy and determine why the calf was left alone in the water. It recovered the calf -estimated to be two years old - to perform an autopsy.
A private passenger boat spotted what they initially thought was a porpicide - the name given to the deliberate slaying of a harbour porpoise by bottlenose dolphins "Across the UK we are seeing more attacks where a bottlenose dolphin attacks a common dolphin juvenile," he said.
It is unclear why dolphins attack porpoises but experts say it could be an aggressive response to feeding competition or misdirected sexual aggression. A boat owned by Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips and carrying 12 passengers spotted what they initially thought was a porpicide - the name given to the deliberate killing of a harbour porpoise by bottlenose dolphins
The group included Ghost, a favourite with dolphin spotters.
The incident has been described as an incredibly rare encounterThe incident has been described as an incredibly rare encounter
The boat, owned by Dolphin Spotting Boat Trips, was carrying 12 passengers on a private dolphin spotting trip. "Ghost and another dolphin she was with all of a sudden started speeding towards this larger group of dolphins," said passenger Holly Williams, 35.
They had spotted a few dolphins in the water, including Ghost, who is a favourite with dolphin spotters. "They started jumping out the water and we thought they were just playing."
Sarah Michelle Wyer, 30, the company's photographer, said: "It was an incredibly rare encounter where a pod of bottlenose dolphin attacked and killed a common dolphin calf. They saw something being flung out of the water by the dolphins and initially thought it was a salmon.
"I've never seen that behaviour before. It's very common for bottlenose dolphins to attack porpoises but not a common dolphin calf." The company's photographer Sarah Michelle Wyre, 30, said they soon realised it was a common dolphin calf.
Holly Williams, 35, was one of the passengers on the boat and said: "They started jumping out the water. We thought they were just playing." "My daughter was hysterical," said Ms Williams.
The group saw something being flung out of the water by the dolphins and initially thought it was a salmon, but they realised it was a common dolphin calf. "She loves animals and is very sensitive."
Dylan Coundley-Hughes, 22, is a researcher for the SeaWatch Foundation caught the attack on camera.Dylan Coundley-Hughes, 22, is a researcher for the SeaWatch Foundation caught the attack on camera.
"These kind of attacks are so rare to see in person. We know they happen in the wild but it's rare they're ever seen," he said."These kind of attacks are so rare to see in person. We know they happen in the wild but it's rare they're ever seen," he said.
Mr Westfield said the increasing number of common dolphins in the area mean more interactions with the resident population of about 250 bottle nose dolphins.
"Its not that clear why they do it," he said.
The food the two types of dolphins eat only "slightly" overlap, he explained.
Matthew Whitefield described the bottlenose dolphin as an apex predator
"The bottlenose is probably the most intelligent cetacean we see on the Welsh coast.
"They are an apex predator with a huge intelligence and a lot of free time because they are so good at hunting."
He said the attacks are probably down to "something as simple as play".
They are also brutal he said, adding: "The calf was most likely with its family pod when the bottlenose dolphins separated it off."