Group of dolphins in the River Lee draw large crowds

Cork people were shocked and delighted to see a pod of dolphins in the River Lee yesterday, with lots of people sharing footage of the unusual sight online.

Passers-by saw at least three dolphins in the river as it reached high tide at around 5.40pm, and they remained in the same stretch of river for several hours.

Some dolphins spotted in Cork today! Video: Irene F. pic.twitter.com/jm1cSntJrH

— Cork Safety Alerts (@CorkSafetyAlert) October 14, 2023

Cars were seen slowing down as pedestrians lined the railings around the quays taking videos of the elegant mammals whenever they emerged.

Before their appearance in the city centre, the same dolphins were also reportedly spotted in Middleton earlier that day.

It is not an incredibly rare thing, as less pollution in the water in recent years has seen the return of otters, herons, and the occasional seal, as well as a few previous dolphin sightings.

People seemed unsure of exactly how many there were, with most people thinking it was either three or four, though some said it could be as many as six.

Though there were a few different guesses as to what type they were, most dolphin enthusiasts seem to settle on the answer that they were delphinus delphi, also known as common dolphins.

Interestingly, common dolphins are actually fairly unusual, being less common than bottlenose dolphins, which are the type spotted most frequently.

Many people online expressed concern that they were lost or in distress, but they seemed content to idly swim around in Sullivan's Quay.

Great excitement along Fr Mathew Quay this evening as a pod of up to six dolphins swam 🐬🐬in twos & three 🐬🐬🐬for well over an hour up and down a section of the River Lee between Parliament & Trinity bridges. #Cork pic.twitter.com/IEPYXpWYGE

— JennïeØSullivân (@OSullivanJennie) October 14, 2023

There were a few more sightings of them after dark, but they are believed to have gone back down the river as the tide went out.

The River Lee flows eastwards towards Cork City and enters the sea at Cork Harbour, where the dolphins are expected to have returned safely to.