Heatwave and dolphin double whammy give seaside town its best summer in 60 years

The triple heat waves have been providing a tourism boost for Britain’s seaside towns, with some saying it’s the ‘best they’ve seen in 60 years’.

Businesses in Scarborough in North Yorkshire are jumping for joy thanks to a double whammy from the "amazing" sunshine - and the pods of dolphins who've set up home off their coast.

As the UK swelters in the third heatwavethis summer and 33C temperatures, Brits are being warned to take care in the sunshine with the UK said to be heading for the hottest July on record.

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But the heat has also given tourism a boost, leaving many UK seaside resorts rubbing their hands with glee. In recent times North Yorkshire and Redcar and Cleveland have seen a “notable” rise in visitor numbers.

Scarborough’s Richard III pub owner Sara Griffiths, 60, said: “When we get weather like this nobody can beat us. We are having a really good run.

“I think the weather is helping us no end, everyone likes the sun and it brings people out."

She points out what Scarborough has to offer including several bays, beautiful gardens, pods of dolphins and the open air theatre bringing big name acts. “There’s a lot of people spotting the dolphins when they go out in the boats. We had a walrus last Christmas and it stayed for a few days. We're normally quiet in winter but everyone came to see that.”

Giulian Alonzi, whose family have run the Harbour Bar, an American style ice cream parlour since 1945, described it as the best it's been in 60 years. His parents and aunt started the business in 1945 and it's their 80th anniversary this year in August.

“It’s getting back to the old-day feel of the 1960s. I think the UK has improved, there’s nicer businesses. It’s really cool. It’s the best it's been in 60 years, we are getting the rewards of this sunshine and for being patient."

He says the dolphins have helped too, which can be spotted most days. “The dolphins are all out in the bay swimming around. They can’t afford to go abroad these days! He jokes. He also says people feel a lot safer at home not wanting to risk the wildfires in Greece.

“Obviously when the sunshine is out we sell ice cream. We have queues and queues, sometimes with maybe 70 or 80 people in, they are long but people are being orderly. They may have to wait ten to 15 minutes but they know at the end of that there’s a fantastic treat.

“This sun is absolutely amazing. Even the evenings are pleasant. People want to be happy and ice cream makes them happy, it’s a happy food.

“It is one of the best times for years and years but you've got to remember a lot of businesses were obliterated during covid. The furlough scheme saved me.”

Retired solicitor Stuart Baines, 66, who runs the Scarborough Porpoise Facebook page and is a Sea Watch Foundation member, started recording wildlife 15 years ago and says the dolphins off the coast are encouraging visitors from around the country.

“The dolphins weren’t around when I started, that’s a recent thing. We’d get 3 or 4 sightings a year off Scarborough and last year that was 600 sightings. They enjoy the Yorkshire coast and most days they are off Scarborough.

“More people are visiting from all over the country to see the dolphins. We've had people from the Midlands come up. They have got a lot of attention. The dolphins are bottle nosed dolphins and are four metres long. They are very animated and real showstoppers.

“There’s a north sea population of more than 200 but we seem to get them most days. I’ve seen some this morning and there were 20 to 30 in that group.

“I think it’s given Scarborough an all year round boost because they are here in the quieter season too. Scarborough doesn’t need the sun to bring people here but it’s popular at the moment too because of the heatwave.”

Rudi Barman, who runs Scarborough speed boat rides, agrees the sunshine and several pods of dolphins, have helped keep visiting numbers healthy.

“The dolphins are 100 per cent helping tourism. You can see it on Marine Drive, the coastal road. One morning there was a huge crowd of 100 people watching the dolphins. We’re very lucky and have seen them nearly every day last 3 weeks

“This week we’ve seen 3 or 4 minke whales. It’s a great sign the sea’s alive and there‘s wildlife out there. The sunshine also helps bring in the visitors as Scarborough has three different bays and a lot going on.

“I have been running speed boat rides for ten years and we’ve always seen dolphins here and there but in the last few years several pods of dolphins have started hanging round Scarborough and the local wildlife expert says once they have calves they never leave. It’s wonderful to see we see amazing displays backflips

“They often come up to the boat and eyeball us and play with the wash. They’re incredibly inquisitive and playful.”

Helen Roberts, who owns Oliver’s Fish and Chip restaurant in Redcar with her husband, Michael, said: “When it’s sunny it brings people out. We are getting prepared for a busy weekend, the sun does increase footfall. They come in on the trains and buses.

“We do have a really nice beach and promenade but the High Street is horrendous and long term we need to attract customers all year round. The council needs to sort out parking charges that are excessive and we have so many parking attendants. They go round in twos. It’s a crying shame."

More than 32 million people visited North Yorkshire during 2024, a 3.8% increase on the previous year, according to North Yorkshire Council.

The authority said the tourism sector was worth more than £4bn annually, supporting more than 38,000 full-time jobs. North Yorkshire Council say an “increasing number of people” are coming to the country.

New figures have shown that the tourism sector is worth in excess of £4 billion every year. The data has revealed that 32.2 million people came to North Yorkshire in 2024 including both day and overnight visitors, which is an increase of 3.8 per cent on 2023. The visitor economy supports more than 38,000 full-time jobs in the county

The council’s leader, Cllr Carl Les, said: “The new figures clearly show just how important the visitor economy is to North Yorkshire. We are blessed with some of the most beautiful locations anywhere in the country."