A humpback whale has been filmed splashing around just off the Kent coast, sparking excitement among animal lovers.
In a video taken by Kyle Thacker, the majestic beast was spotted from afar swimming around near Deal. The sighting has intrigued conservationists and marine enthusiasts who point to this as evidence of increasing activity among the animals in and around the English Channel.
Max Renton of Adonis Blue Environmental Consultants noted that there have been recent sightings of humpback whales along the south coast, including Sussex and Cornwall. While it's not yet possible to confirm whether these are the same individuals, sightings like these highlight the importance of ongoing efforts to understand and protect marine life.
The footage was sent over to the Kent Dolphin Project, a collaboration between the Sussex Dolphin Project and Adonis Blue Environmental Consultants, part of the Kent Wildlife Trust. This initiative aims to study and protect whales, dolphins, and porpoises (cetaceans) in Kent's waters by encouraging people to report sightings via the project's website.
However, the presence of the whale has raised concerns over National Grid's Sea Link project at Pegwell Bay, Thanet. Humpback whales have been spotted in the Channel in 2015 and 2023, but they are traditionally a rare sighting in the county.
Other types of whale have been more commonly seen in waters around Kent, including the beloved Benny the Beluga, who wowed crowds off Gravesend and became a local celebrity during his brief stay in 2018. A Minke whale was also spotted in Dover harbour last December.
Humpback whales can reach up to 18 meters in length, weigh up to 40 tonnes, and live for up to 90 years. In UK waters, they are typically seen alone or in pairs and are identifiable by their distinctive long flippers, which give them their scientific name 'Megaptera novaeanglia,' meaning 'big-winged New Englander.'