The crew of a dolphin spotting boat leaped into action on Saturday when they spotted a calf in trouble in New Quay harbour.

Passengers enjoying the 11:30am dolphin spotting boat trip on Saturday were treated to a very rare encounter while near New Quay harbour.

Two common dolphins were swimming very close to the harbour and although called common dolphins, they are a rare sight in New Quay, which is used to bottlenose dolphins.

The only recorded instances of common dolphins near New Quay have been when they were unwell, so the crew, although being pleased about the sighting, were concerned for their health.

The crew soon realised it was a mother and her calf and they were both swimming in very shallow water and seemed lethargic.

The crew contacted British Divers Marine Life Rescue who instructed the dolphin spotting team to do their best to prevent the dolphins from stranding.

Soon after, a kayaker paddled a bit too close and scared off the mother leaving the minor in need of help, so the skipper and crew Chloe Duckworth and Phoebe Jones jumped into action literally entering the water to save the baby dolphin from being beached and becoming injured.

Jonathan Evans from New Quay Boat Trips said: “Volunteers arrived to assist and one, who was trained in marine mammal rescue, advised they ought to take the calf out to deeper water to stand a chance of reuniting with its mother, so the girls ran off the get the smaller New Quay Boat Trips company crew boat and thanks to the help of passers by were able to drag the boat into the sea and begin the dolphin rescue mission.

“Another member of staff Tegan Allan joined the crew to offer assistance and was able to capture what unfolded on camera.

“The team lifted the dolphin calf into the small boat and took the calf out to sea where they carefully lowered it back into the water.

“The calf swam around the boat a few times as if to say thank you for their efforts and swam off in the direction the mother had gone earlier.”