MILTON, Del. — People visiting Milton Memorial Park Friday morning got an unexpected thrill when a mother and calf pair of bottlenose dolphins appeared near the town docks along the Broadkill River.
According to the Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute, the dolphins swam up the Broadkill and into the boat basin, likely chasing schools of fish.
MERR staff responded to collect baseline health data on the animals, remind boaters to slow down, and share information with observers gathered along the waterfront.
As the tide turned and began to go out, the dolphins made their way back to the main channel of the river. MERR plans to continue monitoring the area in case the pair returns.
“Although this is not a common occurrence, we do get reports of dolphins in the Broadkill River on a regular basis,” the organization said in a statement.