Video catches dolphins putting on an acrobatic display off Sunderland's Roker Pier

An estimated pod of “around eight” dolphins could be seen leaping out of the water before riding the waves created by a fishing boat returning to Sunderland Marina.

As the dolphins put on their acrobatic display a large crowd gathered on the pier, including Jon Bradley, 41, and his nine-year-old daughter, Millie Bradley.

Jon, from Houghton, said: “We’d gone for a walk at the seafront and went to see the fishermen on the pier. It was my daughter who first heard the splash and when we looked round we saw a dolphin leaping out of the water.

"In the end there was around eight of them close to the lighthouse at the end of the pier and they were there for good hour. I was delighted for my daughter who was so excited to see them.

"When a fishing boat came in you could see them following it in, playing in the waves at the back of the boat.”

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It was not the first time Jon has seen the marine mammals off the Sunderland coast.

He added: “I’ve seen them before out at sea from the Bungalow Cafe at Roker, but this is the closest I’ve ever seen them. It was lovely to see.”

The dolphins are reported to have been first spotted at around 12.30pm. At the start of July, a pod of dolphins were also spotted playing in the water off Roker Pier.