By Samuel Wightwick<br /><br />A drone captured amazing footage of a beluga whale swimming off the coast of Shetland.<br /><br />The whale can be seen dipping in and out of the icy water - blowing water out of its blowhole.<br /><br />Richard Shucksmith, 50, an ecologist and wildlife photographer, captured the rare sighting after being alerted to the presence of the whale by locals.<br /><br />Richard, who is originally from Lincoln, Lincolnshire, said: "Someone had spotted something in the water and described it. I suspected it to be a beluga.<br /><br />"So I contacted my colleagues Phil Harris and Rebecca Nason at Shetland Seabird Tours who picked me up in their 4x4 as I was actually snowed in at my house.<br /><br />"The area where we needed to be to see the whale was only accessible by 4x4 as the weather conditions were so bad."<br /><br />Richard, who currently lives in South Nesting in the Shetland Isles, said that the experience was a first for him as a wildlife photographer.<br /><br />He said: "This was the first time I've ever seen and filmed a beluga whale.<br /><br />"I was very excited when I caught the footage, it was brilliant to see, I loved it."
