In Tory Island, off the coast of Ireland, a Labradornamed Ben swims out to the harbour every day to go and meet his best friend. His best friend's name isDuggie, and you wouldn't believe it, but Duggie's a dolphin.In a video taken by National Geographicdocumenting the pair's friendship, you can see Ben running up to the harbour and jumping into the water where he swims to meet the friendly local bottle-nosed dolphin, Duggie.
Source: @Buzzsharer
According to the dog's human, local hotelier Pat Doohan, Ben and Duggie spend up to three hours at a time swimming around each other and playing in the sea.
Duggie started appearing by the island in 2006 when it is thought her dolphin partner washed up dead on the shore. Luckily for Duggie though, she has found a new best friend in Ben the Lab.
"People think it was probably her partner and because they are believed to have only one mate in life, that is why she has stayed behind," said Pat.
Source: @AFD
Duggie has now been coming back to the harbour for ten years, and it doesn't look like she'll be leaving her canine friend anytime soon. When the dog exhausts himself swimming for hours, Duggie helps bring him back to shore."Occasionally a school of dolphins will go by and she will join them. When I see them I think she will forget the island and go back to her wild ways but she never does," Pat finished.Watch the incredible footage of their unlikely friendship here:
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