A rare sighting of a humpback whale breaching off the beach at Hastings on Friday, January 3 drew excited crowds to the seafront. The whale was also spotted at Rye Harbour and Pett Level.
Photos and videos show the whale swimming and leaping out of the water, from just beyond the end of Hastings pier, so large that it was clearly visible to onlookers, and too large to be a seal or a dolphin.
Video credit: Ricky Martin
Kevin Burchett, a passionate observer of wildlife, who took the feature photograph, was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time: “I’ve seen basking sharks, dolphins and porpoises and nearly every other day there’s a seal, but I’ve never in seventy-one years of living here in Hastings seen a humpback whale going past Hastings. I’m so very privileged to have been lucky enough to see it today from the White Rock Hotel. Because I am retired, I have plenty of time on my hands. I sit around all day, mainly with a camera in my hand, as I love wildlife and enjoy the unusual. When I’m near water my eyes are peeled either on the sea or lakes for kingfishers and other creatures.”
Several sightings of the whale were reported to the Seawatch Foundation which listed that it was seen at Bulverhythe beach in St Leonards and at Pett Level. The whale had also been sighted at Rye Harbour, Fairlight, Bexhill, Pevensey and Eastbourne, according to the Sussex Dolphin Project.
Thea Taylor of the Sussex Dolphin Project said: “The humpback whale sighted off the East Sussex coast in the first week of January was a great way to disperse the January blues! Humpback whale sightings are rare but not unheard of, we usually have one or two sightings around this time of year although they don’t usually put on this sort of show for us.
“Humpback whales feed around the north coast of Norway from November to January and migrate south past the UK, heading to warmer breeding grounds around the tropics. They usually travel down the west coast of England so we believe these individuals get a little lost but do find their way out to the Atlantic.
“We are keen to increase our research of individuals seen off the coast of Sussex to better understand where they have come from, and what populations they may be connected with.
“If anyone sees a whale, dolphin or porpoise, it is important to report it to us, along with any photographs or videos at https://sussexdolphinproject.org/report-a-dolphin-sighting/
This data will help us to understand and protect these incredible animals along the Sussex coast and beyond.”
Image Credits: Kevin Burchett .