Leaping dolphins spotted off Yorkshire coast near Filey

The dolphins were seen leaping about 3m (10ft) into the air

Dolphins leaping out of the water have been captured on camera by a wildlife photographer on the Yorkshire coast.

Andrew Cottrell was walking on the beach at Hunmanby Gap when he spotted a pod of about 20 bottlenose dolphins.

He said the mammals were about 1km (0.6m) offshore and "seemed to be having fun" jumping from the waves.

Mr Cottrell said the pod were heading south towards Bempton Cliffs when he saw them on Monday and that they were leaping up to 3m (10ft) in the air.

It was "unusual" to see dolphins jumping so high out of the water in this part of the world, he said.

The aquatic animal pictured is estimated to weigh about 500kg (1,100lbs).

Mr Cottrell retired to Filey in October 2022 and said he chose the area because of "its beauty, the wildlife and the people".

The keen photographer said dolphins could often be seen off the coast but were not usually seen so frequently in the winter.

Wildlife photographer Andrew Cottrell spotted the pod of dolphins off the beach at Hunmanby Gap

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or send video here.