A string of suspected killer whale sightings has been reported along the North East coastline this year.
Possible orcas have been spotted from Northumberland down to Saltburn and Marske.
The latest sighting came on Wednesday, July 29, when photographer Paul Carter spotted a large animal close to shore near Saltburn while watching a pod of bottlenose dolphins.
A killer whale in the Farne Islands
(Image: SUE STUBBS)
Marine wildlife experts have been examining photographs of the animal, which appear to show several features associated with an orca, including distinctive black-and-white colouring, a pale chin marking and a white patch close to the eye.
The sighting has not yet been formally confirmed, and the Sea Watch Foundation has appealed for more photographs or video taken in the Saltburn area at around 2pm that day.
Paul said the dolphins appeared to scatter before the larger animal surfaced.
A suspected Orca in Saltburn
(Image: PAUL CARTER)
He said: “It was such a magical and completely unexpected sighting.”
A confirmed record so close to Saltburn would be highly unusual, with killer whales rarely recorded along the Cleveland and North Yorkshire coast.
However, it follows several suspected sightings farther north during 2026.
Reported sightings include:
- Tuesday, April 14 and Wednesday, April 15 – Northumberland coast
- Tuesday, April 28 – Beadnell, Northumberland
- Wednesday, April 29 – Newton-by-the-Sea, Northumberland
- Monday, May 4 – Seahouses and the North Sea off the Northumberland coast
- Monday, June 8 – Northumberland coast
- Wednesday, July 22 – Northumberland coast
- Wednesday, July 29 – Marske and Saltburn
The waters around the Farne Islands have also produced some spectacular orca encounters.
Members of the Northern Echo Camera Club previously captured striking images of killer whales breaching from the water near the islands.
Photographer Geoff Herron captured an orca leaping clear of the sea and said it was “great to see them for the first time”, while Sue Stubbs photographed two animals swimming together and described the experience as an “amazing day”.
Orcas, also known as killer whales, are found around the British Isles but are much more commonly associated with Scottish waters.
Sightings along the east coast of England are comparatively uncommon, although animals travelling through the North Sea can occasionally appear off Northumberland and farther south.
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An orca was also reportedly spotted around 30 miles east of Hornsea in May.
It is not yet known whether any of this year’s North East sightings involve the same animal or pod, while some reports remain unconfirmed.
Experts say photographs and video can be crucial in establishing whether an animal seen at a distance is genuinely an orca.