Whales in Wales

 

So it all started at 11.38 with a whatsup from Holly who instead of concentrating on working for her new employers NRW from home, seems to have her eyes constantly looking out of the window of her new house above the harbour in Harbour Village. "THERES A WHALE!!!...just off the breakwater, someone get down there!"

We did not need telling twice.  Cameras, binoculars and people were bundled into cars, we got the keys from securirty at Stena (thanks Stena!) and then out onto the Northern Breakwater. Once there ...nothing. Hollies instructions were that it  was last seen near a couple of fishing boats, that were not far off the harbour enterance, but she had not seen it since we got there...

Nada!  nothing, but six pairs of binoculars were desperately scanning Fishguard Bay...

A blow , a bit faint, but I was pretty sure i had had a blow... and then the mottled back and stumpy fin surfaced about 400 meteres straight out from where we were standing. 

It was not a great view but it was definately a whale...

It seemed to be slowly moving out of the bay towards Strumble, we jumped back into the cars intent on heading to Strumble, but on the last few yards of the breakwater, Lloyd spotted it, we screeched to a halt, dived out of the cars and lo and behold! It had turned around and was heading back towards the harbour enterance.

Whales can create a lot of excitement, Lloyd went off at full speed legging it back up the breakwater with Annabell, Hannah and Megan trailing in his wake!

As they converged near the end of the breakwater Lloyd started getting some closer shots...

No doubt about it, a Humpback Whale,  quite scarred, difficult to ascertain its size, but i guessed it to be an adult, although others felt it was a bit small. It continued onward into the outer harbour, heading towards the fort and getting mixed up in the bright glare becoming difficult to see. We were all freezing and hungry and decided to head back to the Ocean Lab for some food and warmth. 

Lloyd, Holly and the interns had been on social media letting people know what was happening, People were up on the Harbour Village veiwpoint, over the Bay at the Fort and streaming down the breakwater by the Ocean Lab, all straining to get a view of the whale! It came in across from the fort and alongside the small breakwater, giving great views, even visible fromt the Ocean Lab Cafe!

Warmed up and fed, we were joined by Fran's Porpoise ID group who had been photographing porpoises at Strumble and who were keen to see the whale, so back we went onto the breakwater, as it seemed the whale was heading back that way. 

It took a while but, after another quite  tense wait, it was spotted heading out towards us. It passed by close giving us and Fran and her gang who had previously missed it great views. And then, glory of glories, it launched itself out of the ocean, breaching out of the water and then crashing back again with a great spalsh! 

As the saying goes "all good things come to an end" but before it went out off to the  north, it waved goodbye with its tail flukes

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What a thrilling experience for all of us lucky enough to have seen it! and well done to Lloyd for capturing these images!

But thats not the end. Our images will be sent to other groups and compared to other Humpback Whale images in catalogues around Europe. Hopefully we will be adding another small piece of evidence to the global knowledge of these magnificent creatures that came so close to extinction in our waters!

That's what Sea Trust was set up to do, local people looking after our marine environment and its creatures!😊