Killer whales and dolphins make for a spectacular sight

Remarkable footage of killer whales was captured by Glen Annison, from Seahouses, as he and the crew of the Standsure headed out to haul lobster pots around 7am on Monday.

The whales were seen rising out of the water about six miles east of Seahouses harbour.

A rare visitor to the area, it’s thought to be the first sighting of the creatures here in several years.

Glen, 32, has been working on the Northumberland coast since he was 16, but the pod of the distinctive black and white whales is a first for the experienced fisherman.

He said that he was over the moon and it was ‘one of the best sights we’ve had’.

Newcastle University masters researcher Kelsey Potlock, who studies cetaceans – whales, dolphins and porpoises – said that the footage can be identified as being of killer whales, based on the straight, dark dorsal fin and the pattern of their blow.

She believes they would have been drawn to the area to hunt the seal population at the nearby Farne Islands.

Meanwhile, Paul King captured footage of dolphins in the North Sea, three miles off Druridge Bay.

He was part of a fleet of boats from the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club which was travelling south on Monday.

Paul, who runs Newcastle-based carpet and upholstery cleaning company REVITA, was delighted to capture the dolphins on film. He said: “They visited every yacht in our small company, which was amazing.

“They are amazing animals and you could see them looking and eyeballing you up as they swam under and around the yacht. They were just playing with us.”