Another chapter has opened in the amazing saga of Dony the travelling dolphin. Since he left Dunquin and the Dingle peninsula in July 2001 we have tracked his movements in France, England, Belgium and Holland with the help of colleagues from all over northern Europe. After disappearing off our radar screens in the Low Countries after Christmas 2002, he has now turned up again back in France, or to be more exact in Brittany!
We first received reports of a solitary dolphin following boats and divers in the Finistère region a week or so ago but now have confirmation that it is the same dolphin known to us as Dony and to French dolphin enthusiasts as Georges. Thanks to the tireless networking of Gauthier Chapelle in Brussels we now understand that there has also been another interactive dolphin in the same area, and even that the two dolphins have been seen together. However, Dony is noticeable for his extremely friendly behaviour and is also easily distinguished from other dolphins due to the severe gash he received to his dorsal fin while staying in Dorset, England, in the early summer of 2002. The photos on this page were taken near Argenton on April 6th by Yves Gladu, a professional underwater photographer based in nearby Brest. Since that date the dolphin has been seen in Douarnenez Bay, around the Cap Sizun and in Le Conquet harbour and lots have people have been swimming with him or watching from boats and the shore. He is reported to be following fishing boats and eating discarded catch, as we suspected he was doing even three years ago when he was here in Ireland. Nevertheless he seems to be fit and well so we were delighted to hear the news of his current whereabouts – one step nearer to Kerry again! The lucky Breton divers and snorkellers are delighted too, and say that Dony is as tactile and friendly as ever.
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