Common Dolphin

Photo: mayaq · CC BY-NC

Superpods of common dolphins numbering hundreds of individuals sweep past The Smalls during the summer and autumn mackerel migration, and dolphins frequently bowride the charter boats out to the reef. Underwater encounters are briefer but electrifying — the dolphins are extremely fast and may pass through a diver's field of vision in seconds, filling the water with echolocation clicks. The offshore location of The Smalls puts it directly in the path of migratory dolphin movement through the Celtic Sea.