A whale sighted in King's Lynn this morning has been seen in the River Ouse in the town again tonight.

Eastern Daily Press: A Fin Whale was spotted in the River Ouse in King's Lynn on Thursday morning. Picture: Ian BurtA Fin Whale was spotted in the River Ouse in King's Lynn on Thursday morning. Picture: Ian Burt (Image: Archant 2018)

Experts hoped the young fin whale had safely made it back out to sea, after it was seen as far upstream as the Cut Bridges earlier today.

But the 5m creature was seen in the river downstream of the town just before 7pm, as the port's pilot vessel tried to shepherd it back towards The Wash.

The injured creature, with lacerations on its back, was identified as a fin whale by the Sea Watch Foundation.

Fin whales are the second largest animal on our planet, with adults reaching lengths of more than 25m and weighing 75 tonnes.

The fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus, has a sleek and streamlined body with a dorsal fin which tends to be taller and set farther forward on the rear of its body compared to blue whales, and which sets further back and rises at a shallower angle than those of other species.

The creatures inhabit the North Atlantic, North Pacific, Mediterranean, South Pacific, Indian and both Arctic oceans.