A species of dolphin, whose appearance makes them look more like killer whales, have been spotted off a north Wales coast. The creatures were caught on camera by a local photographer off Anglesey at Point Lynas in Llaneilian.
The so-called 'dwarf orcas' are actually Risso's dolphins which have larger, rounder heads and bigger, pointier dorsal fins than most dolphins. This means that when they're spotted just below the surface they look just like orcas (hence the nickname).
They spend most of their time in deep water and feed at night, meaning it's quite rare to see them so near the shore. But when they do journey towards land looking for food, people are able to get a rare sight of them. You can get more environment news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Among the lucky few to have caught sight of the creatures was Ian Rothwell Jones, who snapped stunning pictures of around 20 dolphins at Point Lynas earlier this week. Sharing his pictures to social media, Ian commented on the "fantastic feeling" of getting close-up shots of the playful pod.
Sean Thompson also caught sight of a pod leaping out of the water at Point Lynas Lighthouse near Amlwch earlier this month. Pictures show the dolphins' distinctive grey bodies, which are often covered in scars from the bites of other dolphins.
They are closely related to other species of dolphin including pygmy killer whales and melon-headed whales, which often roam more tropical waters. This type of dolphin, which can reach up to 13 feet in length, was named after Antoine Risso, who studied them in the 19th century.
They are said to be able to dive at least 1,000 feet and hold their breath for as long as 30 minutes, making it even more special to catch a glimpse. They aren't the only sea creatures to have been spotted off the cost of Wales recently.
In July, a sailor spotted a massive shark in shallow water off the coast of Tenby. The sailor, Alex Brace, said: "That’s the first one I’ve seen. We do see porpoises and seals but generally not sharks. I’ve spoken to some of the other people who sail on boats around here, and they said seeing one is rare.
"It was probably in water no more than waist deep. It was quite incredible really."
And, in August, a humpback whale was spotted off the coast of Pembrokeshire, captured on camera by Ffion Rees who was running a boat trip with her company, Falcon Boats. She said: "It is quite common to see Minke whales and there have been very occasional sightings of Fin and Sei whales. I have never seen a humpback in our waters in the 27 years I have skippered here. There was one sighted in Mumbles in 2007."
Of course, we can't forget to mention Wally the Walrus, who first popped up in Tenby before heading over to Spain, France, the Isles of Scilly, and then back up to Iceland. He became a local celebrity in Tenby and shops started selling 'Wally merch' to tourists who travelled miles to see him.
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