WILDLIFE experts in Cornwall are urging water users to take care around marine animals after receiving “shocking” footage showing multiple injured dolphins.

The footage, recorded by crew on the Mevagissey to Fowey Ferry, shows at least five animals within the pod of dolphins filmed had injured dorsal fins. Three dolphins had dorsal fins damaged or bent over and two had them completely cut off.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said the injuries to the dolphins were likely to have been caused by water users.

The trust said that veterinary pathologist James Barnett, from the Cornwall Marine Pathology team, judged that the injuries had most likely come about from impact with high-speed watercraft or propellers.

The trust has received a number of reports recently of boats going straight towards and even through pods of dolphins.

In the light of this, the trust is telling water users that it is illegal in the UK to intentionally or recklessly kill, injure or disturb cetaceans – whales, dolphins, and porpoises.

Rebecca Allen, marine conservation officer at the trust, said: “Over the last 10 years, we’ve had increased numbers of common dolphins in our Cornish inshore waters. Whilst this can lead to spectacular encounters for us, it also brings them into our very busy coastal waterways.

“We urge water users to please keep at a sensible speed and follow government guidelines if they do see marine animals: reduce to slow, ‘no-wake’ speed and keep to a safe distance – at least 100m away.”

The trust said that over the past decade, coastal waters in the UK have become significantly busier with recreational boats, a trend that accelerated dramatically after the covid-19 pandemic.

The trust is highlighting that this increased activity, alongside a notable rise in the number of dolphins around the South West coast, raises the risk of harm being caused to the animals.