The humpback whale was seen by Andrew Williamson while he was fishing for herring off Winterton on 6 November.

“I got quite emotional about it all,” he said.

“It was such a heartfelt moment, but nothing good lasts forever.

“There’s an abundance of herring off the Norfolk coast, so food for him or her will not be a problem”.

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The identification of the species of whale was confirmed by British Divers Marine Rescue, which said it was monitoring the mammal.

The spotting of the whale is not the first seen in Norfolk.

Last year, 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.