Killer whales and dolphins once performed at Clacton Pier

Clacton Pier is one of the top attractions in the seaside resort and has been entertaining the public since opening in 1871.

Having been running for more than 150 years, the pier has a rich history, including once - now controversially - being home to some incredible marine life.

Advertising - Adolf and Sallar doing promotional work for the Goss family's scale company (Image: Clacton Pier)

Clacton historian Norman Jacobs takes a deep dive into the tourist attraction in his book Clacton Pier: The First 150 Years. 

The famed dolphinarium entertained families from its construction as a training school in 1971 to its demise and deconstruction in 1985. 

Reg Bloom, who was an old friend of then pier owner Michael Goss, transformed the old pier pool into venue for sea mammals with wife Margaret. 

Its first stars were sea lions Adolph and Sallar, and Maria the dolphin, who came all the way from Malta.

They were joined by dolphins Bubble and Squeak from America in 1972. 

Humboldt penguins and more sea lions - Anna, Kojak, Marcus, Bimbo and Barney - joined later, performing incredible tricks. 

Anna was even featured on a talent show due to being able to balance a ball on a pole on the end of her nose. 

Team - Reg Bloom with Bubble and Squeak (Image: Clacton Pier)

One person who volunteered their memories at the Clacton Local History Museum said: "I remember going to see shows on the pier where dolphins and sea lions performed. 

"The dolphins jumped through hoops and once I was allowed to throw a fish to a dolphin. I think two of them were called Bubble and Squeak.

"Nowadays I think shows like that are cruel, but back then we didn't really understand that."

Everything was going well until a heavy storm hit the pier, forcing all the sea life to be moved away, never to return. 

The dolphinarum reopened in 1981 with the introduction of three killer whales, but tragedy struck when the smallest of the three died one week later after one of the larger ones became "too boisterous". 

Trio - Nemo, Neptune and the unnamed killer whale (Image: Clacton Pier)

Green Peace campaigns began to 'free the Clacton Two' - now named Nemo and Neptune - while they continued to appear in shows. 

Neptune died 18 months later from peritonitis, which forced the campaign to be rebranded as 'Free The Clacton One'. 

Nemo was transported to Windsor Safari Park in 1985 and the marine enclosures were transformed back into a swimming pool.