'Record' Manx dolphins sighting

Up to 150 bottlenose dolphins drew crowds to Douglas Bay

Crowds gathered on Douglas Promenade to watch a record number of bottlenose dolphins off the coast.

Up to 150 mammals stretched about one mile across the sea on Tuesday, Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch (MWDW) said.

The pods were first spotted off Onchan Head at 1130 GMT, before travelling slowly across Douglas Bay and then south along the coast.

Isle of Man tourism bosses said it was the biggest single group seen off the island since records began.

Breaching water

A MWDW spokesman described the event as an "amazing spectacle".

Many of the dolphins breached the water simultaneously and were last seen off Marine Drive at about 1300 GMT.

"Whilst it is rare to see such a large pod of dolphins, it is not uncommon to spot dolphins on the Isle of Man," a Department of Tourism spokesman said.

"There were approximately 604 reported sightings of whales and dolphins during 2007 alone with 1,700 sightings of animals in total.

"Visitors to the island can also expect to see basking sharks, seals and porpoises."