whale-watchers from the Bermuda Biological Station for Research.

All three of the sold-out trips have been unable to catch sight of much of the whale activity talked about off Bermuda over the past month.

But the dolphins delighted the 20 or so watchers on the Curlew and BPS Two which searched the waters of the South Shore for four hours yesterday.

The school of, at least, 15 bottle-nosed dolphins dived in between and around the two boats from the Bio Station for around 20 minutes.

They swam and leapt from the water in twos and threes as the grateful watchers took photographs.

But, apart from one possible glimpse of a "larger white body'' in the water, there were no humpback whales.

Captain of the Curlew Mr. Alfred Smith said: "It is the first trip that we have had any major activity. Things have been a little quiet on the watches this year.

"We have had no good sightings of whales, but everyone seems to have enjoyed the trips.'' Fishermen have been reporting increased humpback and dolphin activity for at least a month.

On Good Friday, bad weather prevented US whale expert Dr. Steve Katona from getting out to see the whales that had been spotted off the Island.

But he said he doubted whether it meant any long-term return to local waters for humpbacks which have not bred here since the last century.

Dr. Katona wants to check whether sightings have involved the same individuals which would indicate them staying in Bermuda waters, longer than usual.

He said that the overall population of humpback whales had increased worldwide and it would not be surprising, in the future, if they did return.

Mrs. Sheila Dempster at the Bio Station said that the four whale watching trips had sold out within hours of being announced, in early April.

She said that the popularity of the whale-watching trips was always good but the recent sightings had created a great deal of interest.

A couple of those trips had to be postponed until May, but Mr. Smith said that the whale season is really coming to an end and sightings would now be rare.

Apart from the dolphins, yesterday's sun-drenched watchers saw an aerial display by Longtails off Castle Island.

Each one of the mixed group were given a basic natural history of humpback whales and how to recognise them.

They also had a clear view of power boats competing in the first races of the 1993 season in Ferry Reach. In fact they received a front-on view as some of the speedboats raced straight towards them as the whale-watching boats moved out of their path.

FLIPPER-ING GREAT -- Whale-watchers sighted a school of dolphins off South Shore during yesterday's trip from the Bio Station. This is one of the many captured by photographer David Skinner.