News / Fin whale was a humpback
A HUMPBACK whale has been seen breaching two miles east of Shetland on Thursday morning.
Initially wildlife watchers thought the cetacean was a fin whale, second only in size to the blue whale and rarely seen so far inshore.
However wildlife tour guide Hugh Harrop, who had first identified it as a fin whale, realised his mistake when he saw the humpback breach several times through his telescope.
Harrop said Channerwick resident Ewen Thomson had been the first to see the whale off Levenwick and alerted the local whale watching network.
He said he was convinced it was a fin whale because he saw it blow a tall column of spray, similar to the many he has seen on tours in the Bay of Biscay.
“Then all of a sudden it breached three or four times and you could see it was a real lump of a whale, not a torpedo shape like the fin whale,” he said.
The humpback may be one of two that was seen about 10 days ago by the crew of the coastguard helicopter while they were on exercise off Boddam.
Possibly the same two were seen in late October off Sumburgh Head.
The last time a fin whale was seen so close to Shetland was 15 years ago when one was recorded off Noss.
Harrop said fin whales are common further offshore where they frequent the continental shelf 30 to 40 miles to the west of the isles.
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