26 July 2022

Species seen today: humpback whale, minke whale, white-beaked dolphins

The day provided great whale watching on both tours that left the harbour. The morning had large flocks of feeding birds which consisted of a wide variety of species such as manx shearwaters, fulmars, gannets arctic terns and an array of gulls. We sat patiently near, awaiting for cetaceans and soon caught glimpses of feeding minke whales. The whales surfaced rarely, spending a long time below so we decided to move to another area where more birds were clustered together. Beneath these rose the tall blow of a humpback whale which was soon followed by white-beaked dolphins. Each time the whale took a breath, a flurry of activity commenced as the dolphins pestered the humpback causing the whale to produce a loud trumpet call in displeasure. The afternoon tour also had great encounters with the humpback whales as one individual showed impressive behaviours, beginning with regularly surfacing and lifting of the fluke upon diving then transitioned into tail slapping. The whale rolled onto its back displaying its long pectoral fins above surface.