Rare humpback whale spotted in the Firth of Forth near Fife fishing village

Amazing footage shows humpback breaching waters near Isle of May
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A humpback whale was spotted in the Firth of Forth in a rare sighting.

The enormous animal was seen coming up for air in the waters between the Isle of May and the Fife village of Crail. David Steel, the national nature reserve manager for Isle of May, spotted the “magnificent” creature while out on a boat. He managed to capture footage of the humpback whale gliding in and out of the choppy waters. In a blog post, Steel said it was “impressive to see such a mighty animal around the island”. He said: “The Humpback appeared settled and was feeding in large circles off the north end of the island, between the Isle of May and Crail.”

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Sighting of humpback whales in the Firth of Forth was once incredibly rare, but the animals are now being seen more often in the area. The waters between Edinburgh and Fife are often used as a feeding ground by the whales in winter, however, it is unusual to see them in the area in summer. Last year, a humpback was spotted blowing from its blowhole in the Firth of Forth, by tourists on a boat heading to the Isle of May from Anstruther. According to Mr Steel, the latest incident is only the third sighting of a humpback whale off the Isle of May in recent history. He said: “We hope it will stick around for a while to allow people to enjoy the great sight.”

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