Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash

This is the moment the Portuguese Coast Guard are surrounded by a pod of playful killer whales as they patrol in a small boat.

The startling scenes were recorded by the Coastal Control Unit of the Portuguese National Republican Guard (GNR) during a patrol off the coast in a small boat.

In the clip, one of the orcas can be seen coming up to the surface just behind the boat to exhale through its blowhole before diving back into the depth.

Another killer whale can then be coming to the surface behind the boat, with a large fin protruding from the water.

More of the pod can be seen and the video was uploaded by the GNR with the caption: “During a maritime patrol, the officers from the Coastal Control Unit had some very special company! Can you tell what animals they are?”

Some netizens speculated the animals were dolphins whilst others were quick to point out they were orcas.

A GNR spokesperson confirmed to Newsflash that the animals in the video were indeed orcas.

Netizen ‘Ricardo Pires’ wrote: “I didn’t even know we had orcas on our coast.”

And ‘Francisca Joaquim Raimundo’ wrote: “It’s a sign that our coast is clean.”