'Flying' dolphins leap out of the water off the coast of Yorkshire

‘Flying’ dolphins leap out of the water off the coast of Yorkshire in astonishing photos

A playful pod of bottlenose dolphins were captured leaping out of the water
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Playful dolphins have been captured leaping three metres out of the water by a wildlife photographer.

The exuberant sea mammals – which weigh around 500kg – were pictured propelling themselves several feet into the air.

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

The cetaceans could be seen playing about a kilometre from the shore of the Yorkshire beach.

The pod of approximately 20 dolphins could be seen frolicking a kilometre off the Yorkshire coastline

It is unusual to see the animals so close to shore during the colder months although there are regular sightings of the sea creatures

Mr Cottrell said the dolphins looked to be ‘having fun’, jumping more than three meters out of the sea.

Dolphins are extremely acrobatic and can jump up to 25 feet from the sea into the air.

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 it was unusual to see them during cold snaps.