SOME people splash out thousands of pounds on trips to exotic locations for the chance to swim with dolphins.

But one lucky group of people got to experience the magic on their own doorstep when one swam up a New Forest river.

More than 40 people crowded the harbour master's pontoon and the town quay at Lymington to watch the playful visitor in a scene that was straight out of Flipper.

The onlookers watched in amazement as the bottlenose dolphin circled the group, played games with them and at one point allowed the swimmers to rub its tummy.

Craig Thompson and his girlfriend Victoria Scott followed the large male dolphin in their speedboat up Lymington River behind fishing boat Southern Star.

When they reached the town quay the pair wasted no time in jumping into the water to get closer to the friendly mammal.

The pair were joined in the water by eight-year-old Charlie Woodford, son of Southern Star skipper Gregg, as well as members of Lymington Rowing Club.

Craig, 24, of Stanley Road, explained: "We were motoring back up Lymington River after a wakeboarding session when we spotted a group of people crowded round a pontoon.

"A fishing boat pulled away from the pontoon, and in its wake we saw the dorsal fin of a dolphin.

"The dolphin followed the fishing boat right down the river to the town quay.

"It was absolutely amazing.

"I couldn't believe how friendly it was - it kept swimming close to us and following us when we swam off.

"It even let us touch its belly.

"If someone had said to me that I would get the chance to swim with a dolphin I would never have believed them."

Hampshire Wildlife Trust marine conservation officer Jolyon Chesworth said: "He's a bit of a celebrity dolphin called George.

"Dolphins have a quite wide-ranging territory, and George has been seen in the Channel Islands and northern France as well as Weymouth and Torquay.

"George is quite a curious animal and allows people to interact with it.

"It's great that we are seeing dolphins but they are wild animals and they are very large and incredibly powerful.

"It is possible that they get boisterous and they have injured swimmers in the past.

"Our advice is admire him but from a distance and don't get in the water, just in case."

Swiming with George

To see Daily Echo reporter Will Carson get up close to George the dolphin log onto www.daily echo.co.uk and click on the Daily Echo Video News section of the website.