There are fears a whale seen off a Norfolk beach could become the latest casualty of the county's tides.

Over the weekend a pilot whale was sighted in shallow water at Snettisham Beach, near King's Lynn.

Kayakers and paddle boarders tried to coax the creature to safety out into the Wash and it appeared at one point to swim out to deeper water.

The whale seen off Snettisham BeachThe whale seen off Snettisham Beach (Image: Hope Nolan/BDMLR)

But a later video appeared to show the creature stranded high and dry.

Although very distant on the mudflats at Snettisham, unfortunately I think this is the Long-finned Pilot Whale, again in trouble sadly. A few hours to go till the high tide @BirdGuides @RareBirdAlertUK pic.twitter.com/loLPAdP6YY

Naturalist Les Bunyan, who photographed the creature on Sunday, said: "It was about 1km out from the beach then it came it a bit closer, it was still alive and swimming around but it's very shallow out there.

"There were a lot of people watching it." 

The whale seen in shallow water off Snettisham BeachThe whale seen in shallow water off Snettisham Beach (Image: Hope Nolan/BDMLR)

Experts from British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) later attended the scene.

Molly Brown, the group's rescue co-ordinator, said it had been unable to safely access the whale on Sunday, while it was seen again swimming in shallow water on Monday.

"The Wash is a very bad place for a cetacean to end up as there are many sandbanks, shallow channels and marshes, which may cause the whale to repeatedly become trapped which will tire the disorientated animal further," she added.

"We would like to thank the public for being respectful and keeping a safe distance, and urge no one to approach the animal if it becomes stranded again."

A member of the BDMLR watches the whale off Snettisham BeachA member of the BDMLR watches the whale off Snettisham Beach (Image: Hope Nolan/BDMLR)

Pilot whales can grow to up to 20ft in length and live for 60 years. They are social creatures which roam the seas in family groups, so it is feared there could be more of the animals nearby.

The species is nomadic, roaming widely in search of squid and fish. The first sighting off Norfolk is believed to have been in 2014.

Whale strandings have increased in recent years. In a report last year, scientists said traces of banned chemicals had been found in some casualties.

Last summer a minke whale washed up at Old Hunstanton.

A fin whale was spotted in the River Ouse at King's Lynn in 2018.