Memorial for Danny the Dolphin unveiled at Portland Marina
Dorset campaigners say Danny's death is a chance to teach people about the risks solitary dolphins face
A memorial for Danny the Dolphin has been unveiled at Portland Marina.
The much loved solitary dolphin died after he was struck by a boat last year.
It's hoped the memorial can teach people about the risks associated with dolphin's becoming overly familiar with humans.
Danny was known well around Weymouth and Portland and could often be seen performing acrobatics near the marina.
Bee Woodland is one of the assistant managers at the marina. She told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset:
"I saw him a few times in the marina, close up occasionally as well, he seemed to quite like the range safety boats because they had jet propelled engines.
"There was a particular time when he had got nosy around the back of one of those and had stood on his tail and was trying to peer into the back of the boat."
Protecting dolphins
But the memorial isn't just about remembering Danny, it's about protecting any dolphins like him that might make the area their home.
Bee added:
"Ultimately, the more habituated that a solitary cetacean gets to humans, the more likely they are to come into contact with things like ship props and boats and just people in the water."
"The aim was not to be maudlin and remember Danny sadly, it was more to try to help the education of everybody; boat users, water users, the general public that actually there are things we can do to try to keep our remaining cetacean population safe."
A QR code on the memorial links people to more information about code of conduct around dolphins like Danny.