A memorial has been unveiled on Portland Marina commemorating Danny the dolphin, a playful mammal who became a local celebrity for a couple of years before sadly dying in October 2020 from a shipstrike.
Danny had his own Facebook group, which gained 4,500 members, and he was a familiar sight along the coast before his untimely demise.
Members of the public raised more than £1,000 for the memorial, which includes a limestone rock donated by Portland Stone Firms Ltd.
The plaque says Danny was ‘fondly remembered by all who had the good fortune to encounter him'.
Liz Sandeman, the founder of conservation charity Marine Connection, said she was delighted to see the memorial unveiled at the marina.
She said: “It was the local community that wanted a memorial to Danny. He really captured their hearts and they wanted a lasting tribute.
“It's a special memorial because it's the first of its kind, there's never been a memorial to a solitary dolphin like this one.”
Photo credit: Colin Garrett and Marine Connection
We encountered Danny on the Countess Of Erne only a couple of weeks before his demise and it’s an experience none of us are ever likely to forget.
Lovely to see the local community remember him in this way.