I hope the recent hot weather has not been causing you too much difficulty. I feel so blessed to live by the sea in the north of England, where it is often a little cooler and easier to breathe.

It has been another wonderful wildlife time for me. The dolphins have been paying Scarborough many visits recently. Quite often I have been tied up and missed seeing them, but last week I had one very special day.

They had been spotted approaching Scarborough from the north, and I was delighted to get to the seafront in time to see them arriving, spread out in many small groups. There is something deeply moving about being in the presence of these wondrous animals. Every sighting feels different, and every one feels like a blessing.

I have written before about how the dolphins love playing around our pirate ship. It is always a joy to watch them. The ship was sailing that day, and I heard myself saying, “I wish I was on the boat,” noticing a slight sense of envy as the dolphins began swimming alongside. The sea was calm, perfect for a boat trip.

The seafront was crowded, and I had parked in an unofficial spot so I could watch for a short while, keeping a wary eye out for traffic wardens. I met a wildlife friend and mentioned that I wondered if I could make the next pirate boat trip, though I doubted I would find a parking space in time. Without hesitation, he said, “Have mine. I wasn’t planning to stay much longer.” I was really touched by his kindness and generosity and gladly accepted his offer.

I knew the dolphins could move on at any moment, but I decided to try. I strode off to the pier as quickly as I could and arrived just as the pirate ship was returning to take on its next passengers. The skipper is part of our wildlife group, and I was able to hop aboard and join him on the small wheel deck, feeling rather pleased to be there as a wildlife spotter rather than a tourist.

As we headed out to sea, we could not see the dolphins at first. They had begun moving south. Then the skipper received a call from another boat reporting a sighting in a bay a couple of miles away. We set course, though the skipper warned that the boat did not go very fast and that this was further than they usually travelled.

The fresh sea breeze was wonderful as I stood scanning the distance with my binoculars. The boat ride itself was a pleasure. Then suddenly I called out, “I’ve just seen a splash.” They were still there.

As we drew closer, the scene became indescribably beautiful. Dolphins began moving towards us, soon surrounding the boat. Some swam alongside in small groups, fins surfacing together. Others breached, leaping clear out of the water. Some rode the bow, and others darted beneath the boat. To be so close to these magnificent creatures, appearing to express such joy and freedom, was utterly breathtaking. I was in heaven and deeply grateful that I had made the effort.

In this story, my slight feeling of envy had alerted me to a desire of my own. This week’s self-kindness invitation is to tune into your feelings, even the subtle ones, that signal something you might like or long for. Simply recognising and kindly accepting those feelings is an act of self-kindness. And if you are able to follow them, you never know what may unfold.