Thirty-foot minke whale circles kayaker in thrilling close encounter

A 30-foot minke whale circled a kayaker off the coast of Cornwall for around 20 minutes in a "thrilling" encounter.

Rupert Kirkwood said he sat "absolutely still and silent" as the "elusive" whale surrounded him as he paddled near Fowey, capturing the moment on camera.

"Enjoy the thrill of the total silence being ripped apart by the greatest natural sound on planet Earth," Kirkwood said in reference to his footage, which shows the whale blow after coming up to the surface.

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