A diver off the coast of Portugal's Madeira got to experience what swimming with a pod of dolphins sounds like.

Hannah Rudd, a marine scientist, captured this footage on June 11 of dolphins swimming all around her.

A high-pitched clicking is heard as the dolphins circle the filmer.

She said: "Swimming with dolphins in the wild is such a spectacular experience and these Atlantic spotted dolphins were full of character! It was an incredible opportunity to witness them wild and free in their natural environment. Observing them hunting the bait ball and listening to them all chattering away to each other was so cool. I couldn't stop smiling.

"Madeira is one of the few places in the world you can experience this and it was so great to see the tourism operator respecting the pod and to learn about the regulations in place to minimise disturbance to these beautiful animals. Dolphins are highly intelligent animals and in my opinion, there's no place for them in captivity - the best way to encounter them is like this, wild and free in the sea.

"I'm so glad I got the chance to have a peek into their underwater world and share the water with them for a few moments. I'll never forget it!"

A large pod of Atlantic spotted dolphins were encountered whilst on an ecotourism whale and dolphin watching trip off the coast of Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. During this incredible encounter you could hear the dolphins communicating with one another through a series of clicks and whistles. They were also filmed hunting a bait ball which was a fantastic natural sight to see.

Hannah Rudd, a marine scientist, captured this brilliant footage whilst on holiday in Madeira in June 2021.

Rudd told Newsflare "Swimming with dolphins in the wild is such a spectacular experience and these Atlantic spotted dolphins were full of character! It was an incredible opportunity to witness them wild and free in their natural environment. Observing them hunting the bait ball and listening to them all chattering away to each other was so cool. I couldn't stop smiling."

"Madeira is one of the few places in the world you can experience this and it was so great to see the tourism operator respecting the pod and to learn about the regulations in place to minimise disturbance to these beautiful animals. Dolphins are highly intelligent animals and in my opinion there's no place for them in captivity - the best way to encounter them is like this, wild and free in the sea."

I'm so glad I got the chance to have a peek into their underwater world and share the water with them for a few moments. I'll never forget it!"