It’s good to be back! Smiles all around as dolphins return
By Jill Dando News
The sight of dolphins splashing around is enough to cheer up the gloomiest of days.
Now people in Portugal are seeing the intelligent mammals return to the Tagus River in Lisbon.
Locals say that because of a reduction in pollution, they're spotting them at least a few times a week - instead of just a few times a year.
"I have loved dolphins forever," wrote a social media user at seeing a video shared online of a group of dolphins jumping out of the water.
"It is great to see them up close, and in our very own Tagus river!"
Dolphins have been sighted in the Tagus since Roman times, but the mammals are no longer seen often, according to a 2015 report by the Sea School and the Marine Science Association in Lisbon.
Now, prompting smiles and elation, over the last two months, social media has been showing the friendly creatures at the site.
"With the improvement in water quality, the river has been gaining new life and a friendly family of dolphins has been seen several times during the last month," Lisbon's mayor's office wrote on Facebook.
The water quality has been steadily improving over the last few years, and it made a huge difference in the beginning of the pandemic when there were no cruise ships coming through and only a few commuter ferries.
There has also been an increase of fish in the area, which draws in dolphins from the Atlantic.
Next week, the U.N. Ocean Conference will kick off in Lisbon, with the intention of reaching an international agreement on how to best protect the world's oceans.
"It is a difficult time for everyone but something good happened," said a Facebook user.
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