A dolphin which has lived alone in the Firth of Clyde for at least 17 years appears to have found company in local harbour porpoises.
The short-beaked common dolphin, nicknamed Kylie by local people, has made his home around a navigational buoy between Fairlie and Cumbrae, likely after getting lost from his group.
The Firth of Clyde is not commonly visited by dolphins of this species and so the solitary cetacean has mostly been exposed to sounds produced by other species, especially the harbour porpoise.
Kylie appears to have clicked with his cousins having been frequently seen in the company of a harbour porpoise, although not always the same individual, since at least 2004.
Research now suggests he appears to have learnt to produce sounds similar to those of the harbour porpoises to communicate.
The story features on tonight's 'The One Show' on BBC1 and will be available on iPlayer for the rest of the month.
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