Dolphins gliding across the water of a Hampshire beach have been captured on camera by a stunned passer-by.

Sarah Coulson was walking along the beach at Barton-on-Sea this morning when movement in the sea caught her eye.

A pod of dolphins was spotted swimming in the sunshine.

She immediately stopped to take a video, zooming in to watch the dolphins appear above the surface of the sea, before disappearing again.

The lifelong resident of Barton-on-Sea said: “I’ve lived here all my life and never seen dolphins here before.

“We saw a pod of dolphins on the horizon and then some came closer to shore.

“It was a truly amazing sight.”

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It is unknown what species the mammals Sarah saw on Sunday were.

But according to the Hampshire and isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, it is likely they were bottlenose dolphins.

Described as a “chunky, fairly plain grey dolphin” they are often sighted close to shore alone or in small groups.

A spokesperson from the trust said: “They are very social animals and can often be seen in small groups of up to 15 dolphins.

“They love to jump out of the water and will happily approach boats to bow ride (surfing in the waves created by the boat). They feed on fish, often working as a team to hunt.”