Adopted by a dolphin!

Published 21:07 on 26 Jul 2025

While out for a sail from Cramond in Aztec on Saturday 26th July, we were astounded to be joined by a bottlenose dolphin!

We had just sailed under the Forth Bridge and were turning for home when there was a loud splash a few meters off the boat. At first I thought it was a seal, but then it breached again and it was clearly a dolphin, with a dark grey back, curved dorsal fin and white belly.

It then swam alongside us for at least 15 minutes, keeping very close to the hull, sometimes on one side then the other. I even thought I felt an occasional nudge on the keels or rudder.

Although it was with us for a long time, it was surprisingly difficult to get a good photo, partly because it only appeared above the water in very short bursts, just to breathe noisily, and partly because it was so close to the boat that we had to lean out to see it. Also, I had to concentrate on steering to avoid gybing!

I was aware that bottlenose dolphins have been seen in the Firth of Forth but I thought it was typically further east. I was surprised to see one as far upstream as the Forth Bridge.

I was also a bit surprised to see one on its own, as I thought they are sociable animals and tend to swim in pods. When sailing on the west coast of Scotland I have seen several groups of dolphins, but they tend to come and play around the boat for a few minutes then head off again. I have never seen a single one swim so close to a boat for so long. I did wonder if this might be a lost young animal, mistaking Aztec for its mum.

In nearly 50 years of sailing in the Forth, I have never seen this before.

Alastair Millar