BEACHGOERS and water users were left shocked after pilot whales swam close to the shore at a popular beach in Gwynedd.

Cardigan Bay is renowned for its spectacular marine life but pilot whales rarely venture so close to shore.

The pair were seen at Black Rock Sands, near Criccieth, with two jet skiers spotting them following the skis out to sea.

“Me and my wife saw them all day that day, we thought they were dolphins”, said jet skier Robert Schofield, who was out on the water with his wife Louise.

It is unknown what brought the two whales so close to the shore, or the area in general.

Just a day earlier, a suspected orca, which preys on pilot whales, was seen nearby, but this has not been confirmed.