Cardigan Bay is one of the best places in the UK to spot bottlenose dolphins. From the beach in Poppit you can on rare occasions see them swimming across to Cardigan Island.
Some recent research estimated that there were around 130 bottlenose dolphins living in Cardigan Bay area (no idea how they measure that). Adult dolphins are around 10-12 feet in length, and if you ever end up swimming next to one that’s about 6 feet to large for comfort. Scared me and I like them.
Dolphins live in pods (as the kids keep reminding me) and hunt in groups. There is a particular shelf around Mwnt beach which they use to heard fish into, where they meet their end…. And hence why is a popular place to spot them.
Dolphins in the area is one of the main reasons that Cardigan Bay is a European Special Area of Conservation. There are also the slightly smaller Harbour Porpoise apparently, not that I would know the difference.
So if you have a few hours to kill in Poppit why don’t you gets some binoculars and go for a walk or sit on the beach with a glass of wine.