Locals were shocked after video footage emerged of a sea creature swimming off the Suffolk coast at the weekend.

The clip, captured by Ollie Boyes, shows an animal emerging from the sea and dipping back beneath the surface a number of times.

It looks black with a distinct white strip at the front of its head.

Mr Boyes said he spotted the "peculiar" animal while enjoying some biscuits on his boat.

"There I was sitting in the companionway eating a couple of Hob Nobs as I'd forgotten my pack-up," he explained.

"Low and behold, out of the corner of my eye I had a rum old sight! It suddenly dawned on me that it looked a little peculiar."

His video circulated local social media groups with people speculating whether a killer whale had made its way to the region.

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But experts have since analysed the footage and verified it as a white-beaked dolphin.

Carl Chapman, regional sea watch foundation coordinator at Wildlife Tours & Education, said: "It's a white-beaked dolphin - up to the year 2000, they were the commonest dolphin species off Suffolk and Norfolk.

"They are a cold water species. As waters have warmed due to climate change they are now more common further north but still occur here from time to time.

"The commonest dolphin in our area is now the common dolphin which is a more temperate climate species."

A spokesman from the Orca charity agreed.

"Although the clip is quite grainy, we do not believe this is an orca. It is most likely a white-beaked dolphin, which are frequently sighted in this area.

"This is due to the short, pale beak and large dorsal fin and the size of the animal which appears much smaller than an orca would be."