Environment
Whale Spottings a Good Sign for Sea Life
Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch shared footage from the spotting off Cranstal
Pic: Jeremy Paul
The spotting of a fifth humpback whale in Manx waters in under a year is a good sign of prey availability in Manx waters.
Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch shared footage from the spotting off Cranstal (just east of Point of Ayre) on Saturday afternoon.
The charity said the whale was spotted, by Ryan Jones and Jeremy Paul, in shallow waters close to the coast.
It said: ‘Humpback whales do have a habit of coming close to shore at coastal locations. This sighting is now the 5th confirmed sighting of a humpback since June 23, following seven years without one. Humpback whales are making a comeback to other areas of the west of Britain along with common dolphins and tuna.
‘As these are all top-level predators, their abundance is a positive sign of prey availability.
‘As there are few historical records of whales and dolphins in Manx waters prior to 2005, it is unknown whether humpbacks were ever here in numbers, but it is likely that when herring stocks were good 40+ years ago, the large whales would have been here.’
