A DOLPHIN spotted in Cumbria turned out to be of the famous variety.

The bottlenose dolphin was seen in the River Eden at Rockliffe and was positively identified as Kevin Costner, a dolphin named for his habit of protecting other female dolphins.

Kevin Costner the dolphin has been known to the Cumbria Whale and Dolphin Watch Group, run by Sea Watch since 1993.

The aptly named mammal was given the nickname in homage to the 1992 blockbuster The Bodyguard, in which Costner plays a bodyguard tasked with protecting a female singer. After first being spotted in 1993, Sea Watch members witnessed him protecting females and their calves.

Kendal College Animal Rescue Centre tutor and Regional Coordinator for Sea Watch Sarah Neill said: “We have had a bottlenose dolphin sighting near Rockcliffe that we have positively identified as ‘Kevin Costner’.

“The dolphin is known to Irish Whale and Dolphin Group and one of the first animals they added to their Shannon ID catalogue in 1993.

“He was given that name due to his habit of regularly acting as a “bodyguard” for females and their calves.

“He also made an appearance in the Boyne in April 2021, but was spotted in Cumbria on Sunday, May 9, feeding in the River Eden.”

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group said: "Kevin was one of the first animals added to the Shannon dolphin catalogue when the project began in 1993. As he was an adult when first identified he is now at least 35 years old. Given how well marked his was back then it’s most likely he is well into his 40’s if not older."

The most familiar of the dolphins and the most likely to be seen from British shores, bottlenose dolphins are highly sociable and are often spotted in waters near the coast.

The Sea Watch Foundation data on dolphin and other sea animals. The group has Facebook pages dedicated to sightings in Cumbria called Cumbria Whale and Dolphin Watch.

As of 2021, there are around 600,000 bottlenose dolphins in the world. Some coastal dolphins stay within a limited home range, but seasonal changes and feeding habits cause them to move to and from certain areas.