THESE are the magnificent scenes captured in Lyme Bay featuring some of the rarest creatures on the planet.

Beautiful white-beaked dolphins are rarer than polar bears and tigers but they have been delighting fishermen and sightseers.

The mammals have also proved a draw for wildlife experts who have been flocking to the area.

The dolphins are particularly famous for their acrobatic stunts, bow riding and tail slapping – and they did not disappoint researchers who have just found them again after several months.

The wildlife conservation charity Marinelife has been carrying out scientific surveys off West Bay, Lyme Regis and other parts of Lyme Bay over the last four years in an effort to find out more about the whales, dolphins and seabirds.

Dive, angling and fishing boats have been taking volunteer surveyors on their boats and it was during one such trip a group of five playful dolphins were spotted.

But this year has been a frustrating one for researchers with endless windy weather thwarting attempts to get out to sea.

Marinelife Research Director Dr Tom Brereton, who has been co-ordinating the surveys said: “There have been fewer whale, dolphin and shark sightings in comparison to last summer, but it is unclear if this is due to bad weather or because there have been fewer animals around.”

Since September, the weather has been more settled, and surveys have confirmed the continued importance of Lyme Bay as a sanctuary for marine mammals.

Dr Brereton said: “It has been particularly satisfying to re-locate white-beaked dolphins, which have been residing in Lyme Bay since at least 2006.”

They were spotted from the Lyme Regis charter boat, the Blue Turtle, skippered by Douglas Lanfear, with Harry May as crew.

Describing the scenes Dr Brereton said: “The animals played all around the boat for 20 minutes, delighting researchers from Marinelife.

“They had come from all corners of the UK to attend|a meeting to showcase results from the recent Marinelife surveys and of course to try and see these rare dolphins.”

Adrian Shephard, Marinelife’s communications manager, said: “We were able to watch the dolphins interacting with the boat. Absolutely stunning.”

Harbour porpoises have been seen in small numbers, and there have been occasional sightings of minke whale, common dolphin, Risso’s dolphin and bottlenose dolphin especially in the western half of the Bay.

More unusually two pods of long-finned pilot whales were spotted far out to sea due south of West Bay.

The biggest surprise came in September when a Humpback Whale was spotted on the edge of Lyme Bay north of the Channel Islands.

“This is a very rare visitor to UK waters, though there have been two sightings near our shores recently,” said Dr Brereton.

For more details and photos of local sightings go to www.marine-life.org.uk /sightings/coastallatest.html