Kayakers’ Amazing Dolphin Encounter Off Aberavon Coast

Three kayakers got the surprise of their lives when a pod of dolphins swam right up to them off the coast of Aberavon on Saturday! 🐬

Jamie Rigdon was training with his brother Carl Rice and friend Kieran Ladkoo about three miles from Port Talbot beach when the magical moment happened on the hottest day of the year in Wales.

“We saw them in the distance and then they disappeared and then we saw them again and they started to get closer and closer,” Jamie said. “It was a sizeable pod and they stayed around us for a good couple of minutes swimming below us and in between us. It was incredible. A beautiful day for it as well.”

The encounter was particularly special as dolphins are rarely spotted in south Wales waters, unlike the west Wales coast where bottlenose dolphins are commonly seen near Cardigan Bay.

“They stayed around us for a couple of minutes. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’ve lived here all my life and have never known of dolphins in the sea here,” Jamie added.

The brothers were training for an incredible fundraising challenge – kayaking across the English Channel from Rye Harbour to the French coast in memory of their late father who had dementia. 💙

“There’s a local charity in Port Talbot called Me Myself and I and they looked after my father,” Jamie said. “They’re a charity which helps people with dementia and they’re incredible. They also looked after my brother’s mother-in-law. They’ve done a hell of a lot for our family so we wanted to give something back to them.”

The team has already raised more than £1,000 for the charity. You can support their fundraiser here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/remember-2-paddle