It must be the ambition of every diver to meet a wild dolphin underwater. Although the odds are stocked heavily against you meeting one of these magnificent creatures by chance, occasionally you hear of individual dolphins adopting a particular territory and making friends with man. Sometimes their behaviour is so predictable that you can be sure to get the opportunity to swim with them.

The Amble Dolphin

This was the case with one such dolphin, an Atlantic Bottlenose known locally as Freddy, who had taken residence at the picturesque port of Amble on the Northumberland coast.

Freddy’s ‘patch extended in a large triangle from the mouth of the River Coquet to the Pan Bush buoy, and out to Coquet Island. He patrolled this territory for two years around 1990, growing in confidence to the point where he actively sought contact with people.

Freddy became a celebrity after his appearance on News at Ten, promoting a steady stream of visitors to make the pilgrimage along the south jetty wall to indulge in some dolphin watching. The ideal vantagepoint was at the port light tower marking the entrance to the harbour and Braid Marina beyond, where fishing boats and pleasure craft enter to find safe moorings.

At weekends, day-trippers came to get a glimpse of this most unusual phenomenon - a dolphin that prefers the company of man to his own kind. They were not disappointed. Freddy produced a show as if on cue, following the local fishing boats into port or playing with swimmers.

Exactly why an individual of a usually gregarious species chooses a solitary existence is a mystery. Probably no one will ever know the reason; why do some humans choose to become hermits? At any rate Freddy was in dolphin terms, old and would have difficulty in establishing himself in the hierarchy of any school of dolphins he attempted to join.

It was obvious why Freddy adopted Amble as his home - he is being well fed. In awesome displays of agility he flipped huge salmon out of the water, then flipped them again in mid-air like a cat playing with a mouse. He was a fussy eater though, leaving the heads. Despite Freddy’s appetite for their livelihood, the local fishermen had a very positive attitude towards him. One local guesthouse has even had its name changed to The Dolphin.

Mingling with the crowds watching from the breakwater, you get caught up in their excitement; but unlike them, as a diver you know that a far closer encounter beckons.

The first occasion I tried to meet was on a weekend, and that meant that, in addition to the spectators on land, there were at least ten other people in the water at any one time! To his credit, Freddy shared his time out equally between all, but this was frustrating as little rapport could be developed.

I was warned that Freddy does not like scuba, so decided to go in with snorkel equipment. This proved a fallacy. He would blow bubbles beneath you, obviously to tempt you down. He does seem to prefer snorkellers for close contact, however; perhaps because people are soft and scuba is hard. Certainly his first reaction on the surface to most people in snorkel gear is to roll over on his back, encouraging a rub on his tummy like an affectionate puppy.

Being at the mouth of the river the visibility is unpredictable; and it was no better than a few feet that first day. Next day, however, not only had the crowds gone but also the vis had improved to over 3m. And as soon as I jumped in from the wall, this time in full equipment, I had the premonition that Freddy was on his way.

The tension mounts as your senses strain to discern the familiar form out of the low-contrast gloom around you. Suddenly, the unmistakable shape of a dolphin materialises out of the limits of visibility, and his sheer size takes your breath away.

He glides by, he looks into your eye and you look into his. It is an eye that is larger than a human eye, but small in relation to his body size. Nevertheless, it is as expressive as any person I have met.

Freddy could be guaranteed to swoop in and interact with divers. As well as curiosity, Freddy’s sense of fun was incredible. He played his own version of hide and seek, sneaking up behind you and giving you a nudge.

His agility was tremendous. Later that week I watched as he weaved in and out of a group of four divers, never once allowing an accidental contact with his tail fluke. He seemed to want to lead them out into deeper water to play, and he was puzzled why they couldn’t keep up!

His skin was nothing like I imagined, but pitted and scarred. A piece of fishing line had sliced into one fin and the scar had healed around it. The temptation was to try to pull it out, but I would recommend caution as this might provoke a painful reaction! In any event this might only succeed in introducing bacteria into the wound.

Freddy can be guaranteed to pose for the camera; but sometimes he can become too friendly. On one comic occasion, for instance, he insisted on peering into the lens of my camera from a distance of a mere foot, which is frustratingly too close to focus. He was probably trying to work out what I found so interesting about that little box that I should hold it so close to my head all the time. Maybe he thought that if it was that good, he should have a go!

But then his demeanour changed. We heard that large numbers of curious swimmers were frustrating Freddy, who started to snap, bite and whack with his tail. Peter Bloom has put up a warning sign on Amble Pier and printed leaflets asking for reduced human contact. "Freddy is not being very aggressive at the moment, but it could develop," he said. "And when you start playing rough games, injuries can happen." He feared that a good thump from Freddy’s tail could kill.

This never happened. Soon after my encounter a dead dolphin was washed up on a beach nearby. Someone who dived with him regularly as being Freddy identified it. What happened? I never found out but I remember with great fondness the privilege of diving with him.

Advice for Diving with a Dolphin

Tips towards a successful dolphin encounter

When going into the water with a dolphin, remember at all times that this is a big, sometimes boisterous, wild animal measuring 3m in length and weighing in excess of 350kg. Here are a few things to consider which hopefully will make your dolphin experience more memorable and safer:

Dolphin Etiquette. Pushes, rides and tows are now commonplace, so enjoy them. However, a dolphin has found out that people and/or neoprene can be sexually arousing, so you will almost undoubtedly be confronted at some stage of the dive with a large erection. Don’t deliberately touch this and if he hooks you with it just unhitch yourself. His sexual excitement can lead to frustration and perhaps to actual aggression. This is rare but it is certainly not advisable to swim alone or without boat cover. Be slow and gentle and relaxed in the water and you will see more of a dolphin close up. If you thrash your arm and legs around a dolphin will go to someone else. Water visibility permitting, he is very photogenic but don’t pop a flash in his eye.

Gear. He will come down to you on the bottom if you are using tanks but I have found he spends more time with snorkellers on the surface. Wear a weightbelt to make duck diving easier.

Numbers. Go in the water in small groups of two to four if possible for short periods of time, as opposed to one mass dive. He will usually go to inspect everyone in the water but may spend more time with one in particular.

Boat cover. Don’t dive without it. Strong currents may exist at most states of the tide, making it very difficult to swim against. If you get into difficulties do not assume a dolphin will save you! There are probably experienced skippers with hard boats who know the dolphin and more importantly the dolphin knows their boats! If you use your own boat, watch out for a dolphins potentially dangerous game we call ‘propeller watching". The noise and motion fascinate them, so keep speed and direction changes slow and smooth.

Report If there is a dolphin sightings scheme in operation please contribute to the project by writing down the time, location and sequence of events of your sighting along with your name and a contact number for possible clarification.

Where to dive with Dolphins

There have been many other such dolphin encounters in the UK. Fungi the Dingle Dolphin was in Dingle harbour, Ireland for 20 years. Other dolphins have been known to seek human company. Just heed the advice above and, enjoy!

Photography and text by  Benny Sutton