Dolphins swimming off the coast of Wales — which have been found to have their own ‘Welsh accent’ — speak faster than those anywhere else in the world, new research suggests.
The whistles of pods around Cardigan Bay have a unique regional signature and were found to be at a higher frequency than others across the globe.
Experts on the BBC nature series Wonders of the Celtic Deep, which explores the west Wales coastline, made the discovery after a study of 240 bottlenose dolphins.
Dolphins swimming off the coast of Wales — which have been found to have their own ‘Welsh accent’ — speak faster than those anywhere else in the world, research suggests (stock image)
The show’s narrator Dame Sian Phillips, said: ‘Bottlenose dolphins are highly sociable, the group are in constant communication.
‘Each dolphin has its own unique signature whistle and the Cardigan Bay dolphins may have their very own dialect.
‘Their whistles are at a higher frequency than those recorded anywhere else in the world.’
Researchers have previously discovered the Cardigan Bay dolphins have different sounding whistles to other pods found around the UK.
A 2007 study was made by marine scientist Ronan Hickey, of the University of Wales in Bangor, and experts from the Shannon Dolphin Foundation in Ireland.
They digitised and analysed 1,882 whistles from 120 Irish Sea dolphins to find the Welsh dolphins had their own accent.
Speaking at the time, project leader Dr Simon Berrow said: ‘We’re trying to associate whistle types with different forms of behaviour — like foraging, resting, socialising and communicating with their young.
‘One was distinctive and exclusive to the dolphins of Cardigan Bay.
‘We’re really building up a dictionary of a whole range of sounds. There are whistles, clicks, barks, groans and a gunshot sound which they might use to stun their prey.’
The discovery followed studies showing that cows moo in regional accents and bird calls vary across the country.
In 2007, cheesemakers in the West Country said that their cows had a distinct local accent, a claim backed up by experts who said the ‘dialectical variations’ would be influenced by peer groups.
The whistles of pods around Cardigan Bay have a unique regional signature and were found to be at a higher frequency than others across the globe (stock image)
The Welsh dolphins are a major attraction for tourists on boat trips from New Quay and Aberaeron and from vantage points on the coastline.
More than 25,000 holidaymakers take sightseeing tours on boats every year to watch their antics.
At the time of the ‘Welsh accent’ discovery, Cardigan Marine Wildlife Centre manager Steve Hartley said: ‘It makes sense that different groups of dolphins separated by large distances have different accents.
‘It’s nice to know they have their own Welsh accent.
‘Dolphins are very important to our tourist industry and I’m sure the fact that they whistle in Welsh will be an added attraction.