Researchers see Cardigan Bay dolphin 'baby boom'

The newborns have been seen on research trips and dolphin-spotting expeditions

Scientists monitoring bottlenose dolphins in mid Wales have noticed a baby boom in the water.

Sea Watch Foundation researchers in Cardigan Bay have spotted four newborns in the area in the past week.

The first calf was photographed on 7 August with the fourth spotted on Wednesday.

Cardigan Bay monitoring officer Katrin Lohrengel said: "We use a technique named photo-ID to identify individual dolphins."

This process involves photographing nicks and notches on the animals' dorsal fins and comparing them to others.

Once scientists can identify the mother, they can be sure the calf by her side belongs to her.

The team is in the process of comparing photographs to see if another calf spotted near Aberystwyth harbour will take the total to five.

"We have seen four distinctly different mothers with newborn young recently so it feels like a real baby boom," said Ms Lohrengel.

The animals have all been seen off the coast of Ceredigion.