Did he get stuck here on porpoise? Surprise visitor makes a splash in Ipswich

The details: At approximately 1.30pm today (Wednesday, 14 October), a porpoise was photographed swimming in the River Orwell near the Sir Bobby Robson Bridge, with the fire service reportedly attending the scene.

Quite how the little visitor ended up in the heart of Ipswich remains something of a mystery, although it almost certainly arrived from the North Sea, taking what must have been a rather interesting sightseeing tour of the Suffolk coastline.

Its journey potentially may have begun in the open waters off Felixstowe, before entering Harwich Harbour between Landguard Point and the Essex coast. From there, it could have followed the tidal Orwell northwards, passing Shotley, the container terminals at Felixstowe, the Orwell Bridge and the historic waterfront before arriving in the town centre.

That's a journey of roughly 15 miles from the harbour entrance, depending on the route taken, and certainly a change of scenery from the open sea.

For context: Harbour porpoises are native to British coastal waters and occasionally venture considerable distances inland along tidal rivers. Whether this particular visitor was lost, following a shoal of fish or simply enjoying a spot of sightseeing remains unclear.

Despite frequently being mistaken for dolphins, harbour porpoises are a different species. They're also Britain's smallest cetaceans, typically measuring around 1.5 to 1.9 metres long and weighing between 45 and 85 kilograms.

They're rather shy creatures, preferring to keep a low profile rather than perform the acrobatics associated with their more outgoing dolphin cousins. Their favourite meals include herring, sprats and other small fish.

And here's something rather clever: porpoises use echolocation, producing high-frequency clicks to navigate and hunt underwater, even when visibility is poor.

Despite their relatively small size, harbour porpoises can swim at impressive speeds when necessary and regularly travel considerable distances in search of food.

The bottom line: For now, it's unclear whether Ipswich's unexpected guest is genuinely stranded or simply taking an unusually long detour from the North Sea.

We'll bring you further details when we have them. In the meantime, we're keeping our fingers crossed that our visitor finds its way safely home.

Because, after all, there's a time and a plaice for everything.

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