Rare sighting of a bottlenose dolphin in northern Danish harbour

Climate change may be sending unusual visitors to Danish coastlines

A bottlenose dolphin has been splashing around in Skagen Harbour in northern Denmark for most of the past month.

Rolf Christensen from the Grenen Fuglestation has been keeping an eye on the rare visitor.

“The dolphin has been here since December 22, so it must be happy,” Christensen told DR Nyheder.

“It’s quite a sensation, and I think it could stay around for many more days.”

Uncommon visitor
Bottlenose dolphins can be between two and four metres long and weigh up to 650 kilos. Many will recognise the animal from the TV series ‘Flipper’.

The mammals are a somewhat rare sight in Danish waters. Since 2015, only four bottlenose dolphins have been spotted from Danish shores.

“It may be a coincidence that they are here, but it could also be due to rising temperatures in the ocean,” said Bjarne Klausen, a biologist at the Kattegat Centre.

READ MORE: Bottlenose dolphins spotted near Funen

“Animals come in periods that shift back and forth, so it could be perfectly natural that they are here, but climate change may make the stays more permanent.”

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