Minke whale seen leaping from water off Scarborough

A minke whale has been spotted leaping from the water off Scarborough, amazing those lucky enough to see it.

Wildlife photographer Steve Shipley headed out to sea last Thursday in the hope of spotting dolphins.

While the dolphins evaded him, he managed to get a rare glimpse of a minke whale breaching the waves.

Mr Shipley captured the whale with almost its whole body out of the water, saying it was a "fantastic" sight only 10 minutes into the trip.

The whale's signature white band near its side fin meant it was easily identifiable.

While it is not uncommon to see whales, porpoises and dolphins off the Yorkshire coast, minke whales rarely breach the water, experts say.

A minke whale seen on the Yorkshire coast

Stuart Baines, of the Scarborough Porpoise group, said: "It's a common whale on the Yorkshire coast but I've been surveying whales for 40 years and it's the first time I've seen them breach.

"I did think it was a dolphin initially. It was great to see and I'm in admiration of the whale."

While minke whales are known to be among the smallest, they can grow to about 35 feet (10m) and weigh up to 20,000 pounds (9,000 kg).

The species can usually be seen between July and October, meaning this unusual encounter was an early one.