Kayakers spot minke whale off coast near Sunderland

Two kayakers have spotted what is believed to be a minke whale off the coast on Sunderland.

Mark Taylor and his brother Nigel were out enjoying the North Sea at about 7am on Sunday 11 August when they spotted the whale out past Roker Pier.

They had gone out hoping to see dolphins and were out past the harbour's North Pier when it appeared.

Mark said: "It was then that the Minke Whale appeared. It started circling us and then came back up towards us.

"We were ecstatic."

He added he had been kayaking with his brother for years but had never seen a whale before.

He said: "We stayed out for about an hour - longer than we should have as I even ended up late for work!"

The Northern minke whale, most often referred to as the minke whale in the UK, is found in most of the oceans in the northern hemisphere.

They are smaller than the other baleen whales found in UK seas, according to the Wildlife Trusts.

They are generally spotted alone or in small feeding groups feasting on schools of fish or krill.

Adults reach between seven and nine metres and are described as having a sleek, dark grey body and a tall sickle-shaped fine that curves backwards.

They can be spotted in the near-shore waters around the UK, and can been seen in the northern and central North Sea as far south as the Yorkshire coast.

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