A DOLPHIN was spotted making waves in the River Wye at Chepstow last week by fisherman Richard Morgan, who is a member of the Black Rock lave net heritage fishery at Portskewett.

Richard saw the unusual mammal in the water close to the railway bridge on Thursday, (October 5).

His brother Martin told the Review: “We’ve seen porpoises and seals out in the estuary as we’re fishing, but we’ve never seen a dolphin. We’re not experts, but this animal was a lot bigger than the ones we normally see. Richard was sure this was a dolphin and not a porpoise as it was huge. Porpoises are smaller and darker in colour.

“He said it was very vigorous and very active. It seemed to be feeding, probably on salmon, and to be quite happy.

“Richard managed to take a video and we were working with a BBC cameraman not long afterwards. When Richard showed it to him, he managed to edit it and slow it down to show the animal more clearly.

“The largest animal I’ve ever seen in the estuary before was a bull seal as we sometimes see those in the channel while we’re fishing for salmon at Black Rock.”

A spokesperson for the Marine Conservation Society in Ross-on-Wye said: “There are occasional times when dolphins do find their way into rivers, either following fish or perhaps if they have become disorientated, for instance due to sickness. 

“As most dolphins are not designed for fresh water environments, it is not the best place for them to be, although they will probably be ok for a while.

“If you spot an animal that appears to be in trouble, we suggest you contact British Divers Marine Life Rescue www.bdmlr.

org.uk on 01825 765546 or 07787 433412. They cover rescues throughout the UK.”