Venus (Billy), the female dolphin that has been in the waters off the Blasket Islands since early July is still there. I swam with her in mid-July and can't really add more to Graham's account (click here to read Graham's account)
My first feelings, though, were that it was a male dolphin but probably because it was in the same area as I had swum with Dony back in 2001. It has since been confirmed by Ute that she is in fact female. Hence the change of name from Billy (named after the first person to spot her around the islands to Venus) It has also been confirmed that it is the same dolphin that spent a week in Ventry bay at the end of May.
Venus played with a fish whilst I was in the water, throwing it up into the air and then letting it escape for a bit before reeling it in again. She also spent most of her time circling a yellow buoy (the furthest west of all the buoys), which is something that she seems to do a lot.
Reports since are that she is still in that area every day, and mainly around the same buoy. People have swum with her regularly. It will be interesting as the water gets colder and the people less whether she will still stay around.
If you have any pictures you would like to share of Venus please send them in.
Keith Buchanan
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