Spectacular aerial footage shows whale swimming off Plymouth coast on Sail GP weekend

Spectacular aerial footage shows a humpback whale swimming in waters off the Plymouth coast ahead of the Great Britain SailGP event.

The creature was spotted by sailors and onlookers on Thursday (15 July) ahead of the global sailing competition.

The second sighting put a momentary stop to training as competitors looked on at the incredible sight of the humpback whale emerging on top of the water.

A video was shared on SailGP's Twitter page showing the fantastic moment as the whale swam around one of the catamaran boats through the water course.

It was just yards away from those competing in this weekend's SailGP competition, which is taking place at Plymouth Sound.

Some people have expressed concern for the creature, but volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue have positioned themselves at vantage points around Plymouth Sound to look out for the whale.

The video shared by SailGP also explained that the team has a 'mammal protection officer'. It explained that when the creature was spotted, practice was halted and the course was moved so the whale could pass through safely.