This is the magical moment a kayaker from the UK found himself surrounded by a pod of about 20 common dolphins off the coast of Penzance in Cornwall.
Ruper Kirkwood was paddling out to sea on Friday when the marine mammals joined him and swam alongside his kayak for several minutes.
"I was thrilled to see it was a nursery group containing half a dozen calves," Kirkwood said.
"The calves jumped with as much relish as their mothers and on several occasions, I was actually splashed," he added.
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