So many dolphins!

[ss2016]

In contrast to the other dolphin thread we have been struck by how many dolphins we have met in an area Falmouth/Salcombe/Guernsey. In a recent trip around that area we must have met more than a dozen pods who wanted to play, and seen many more too busy feeding. A QUESTION. Any one have a view as to what their preferred speed is? We normally settle for about 8Kts but since they like to sit so close to the bow it's hard to both see them and adjust the speed.


Google Photos

 

[DavidJ]

Weve had them in the Med off Elbe and although I didn’t look at the speed I’m told that 12Kts is good.
I think the theory is that at slower speeds the dolphins will come closer with consequent risk of danger.
Always worry of course you are going to injure one of them but I think they are very experienced and intelligent enough to stay away from the blades. I would worry more if I had IPS but they probably have that one covered too.

 

[Alicatt]

Giving my little dory a bit of stick at 20+ kts and a Moray Firth bottle nose dolphin came close and swam along side before heading off faster than we were going.

Those Moray Firth Dolphins are big, a lot bigger than the normal bottle nose and quite aggressive too, there was a study of them going on at the time and the scientists were quite shocked at the predation on the harbour porpoises in our area, the bottle nose would hunt them down, bite and drive them out the water, the BBC did an article on them round about 1993, one of the bottle nose dolphins flicked a harbour porpoise out the water and into a boat using it's fluke, all caught of video.

From Wiki: By Shirehorse at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, File:2005-05-n2-2550.jpg - Wikimedia Commons Moray Firth Bottle Nose attacking a harbour porpoise at Chanonry Point pic and info about halfway down the page

Bottlenose dolphin - Wikipedia

 

[macca499]

There are lots of dolphins up here in NI, here’s a video of some just the other side of the Copeland Islands last year while heading to Isle of Man

 

[ss2016]

Interesting replies, thanks.
I think I will try stepping up the speed though 12Kts will be difficult. We'll above displacement but not properly on the plane. It should kick up a nice big wave for them.
I have seen Orca take off at huge speeds but they while cousins are much bigger.

 

[Canopy Locked]

The important thing is to maintain a constant heading and speed rather than trying to "chase" or follow dolphins - if they want to come in they will, if they don't they won't.

 

[Farmer Piles]

I have tried many speeds but a lot of it depends on the pod. Probably the most pleasure I have had is at tickover on a few occasions. Just ghosting along and the pods have stayed with us for up to half an hour. they loll around under and beside the bow and just seem to enjoy the company and the relaxing pace. You can lie on the bow and they will roll and eyeball you, almost within touching distance. My hand popped below the surface one time and the dolphins disappeared faster than a Tory majority.
Great that you are seeing so many though. A good sign.

 

[Alicatt]

Brother and I took my dory from Wick round to Sinclair Bay to do some fishing off the rocks there, we had been there about an hour or so when I spied a fin heading straight for us, it came right up to the boat stopped and then a head popped up took a look into the boat then headed back out on a reciprocal course, it was a harbour porpoise checking to see if we had caught anything, that was a nope nothing that day and the weather was getting up, we cut our losses and headed back in against a 2m sea that was running against us. With less than a foot of freeboard it was a wet journey back to Wick.