WATCH: Minke Whale 'bow rides' whale-watching boat near Galley Head

CORK Whale Watch has posted an amazing video today of a minke whale 'bow riding' their boat.

The company, headed by Colin Barnes, has had a busy year with huge amounts of whale, dolphin and shark activity in West Cork this summer.

'With so many minke whales cruising around in West Cork waters of late, visits to the boat from them have become common place,' says Colin. He advises: 'Having sighted a minke, estimate its next surfacing position, stop engines and wait quietly. Always the same formula. If your luck is in, the minke will come in close and inspect the boat from every angle, sometimes staying for 30 minutes or more. We had a prolonged visit from a minke on Monday morning, and as ever, the minke satisfied its sense of curiosity and moved on.' 

He continues that what happened next was 'astonishing'. 

'I started engines and continued our search to the east of Galley Head, checking out a report of possible humpbacks there on Sunday evening. Next thing, our visiting minke decided it was coming with us and came thundering after us at high speed in our wake, caught up with the Holly Jo, and took up bow riding just like dolphins do! In our now our eighteenth year of whale watching, we have never had a bow riding minke, or one traveling with the boat either.'

WATCH the clip of this extraordinary minke behaviour here: