**PRESS RELEASE**

COMEBACK FOR HEBRIDEAN HUMPBACKS?

Conservationists Celebrate Rare Sighting of Humpback Whale in Scottish Waters

Following a sighting tip-off from Peter Fowler of Skye-based Sea.Fari , a research boat chartered from Tobermory-based ‘Edge of the World' yesterday took staff from Sea Life Surveys and the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust in search of a rare humpback whale ( Megaptera novaeangliae ), a species previously heavily targeted by the voracious whaling industry of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Thinking they were looking for a needle in a haystack, the researchers were surprised that it took just an hour of searching to locate the whale, a juvenile measuring between 8 and 9 metres. Its length suggests that the animal is less than two years old and may even be one of this year's calves. Given the difficulty of determining the sex of many cetaceans in the wild, conservationists may not know for many years what gender this animal is.

The whale is apparently healthy and seems to be feeding well, even at one point lunge-feeding into a ball of sprat right in front of the boat (photos and footage available).

Brennen Fairbairns, skipper of Tobermory-based Sea Life Surveys , the longest established whale-watch operation in the UK , said, “Fantastic to see the return of this magnificent levanthan into our Scottish coastal waters” .

Finding a humpback whale so close to land in Hebridean inshore waters is extremely uncommon and over the entire reach of UK waters, this species was only seen 46 times in the years 1992 to 2002. Photographs show the whale's dorsal fin to be very clearly marked, making it possible perhaps in future to determine whether it re-visits the Hebrides . Worldwide, humpback whales are normally identified by the individual markings on the underside of the tail flukes but unfortunately no-one has yet managed to photograph the underside of this particular animal's flukes to add to this global database.

The concern now is to ensure the whale remains relatively undisturbed whilst also allowing whale-watchers the opportunity to view this unusual animal. Judging by the obvious abundance of prey in the area the whale has been sighted, it may be present for some time yet and researchers are hoping this will prevent a mass rush to see the animal. As a result, they are encouraging local operators to spread out their visits to the area and keep numbers of boats in the vicinity of the whale to a minimum.

Cally Fleming, Project Director of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust , said, “ Given the threats faced by whales worldwide from those intent on the lethal exploitation of these magnificent animals, we at the Trust, more than anyone, are keen to promote whale-watching. However, though everyone in the Hebrides is keen to make this rare visitor welcome, it would certainly seem a shame if, having just returned to Hebridean waters, he or she is excluded from the area by an influx of well-meaning animal lovers .”

Humpback whales are approximately 4 to 5 metres in length and 1 to 2 tonnes in weight at birth and the largest animal ever recorded was a massive 18 metres in length.

The humpback whale was heavily hunted in Scottish waters, adding to the estimated 250,000 humpbacks killed worldwide. Despite being fully protected in 1966, there are still no reliable estimates for the northeast Atlantic population but it is almost certainly remains a small fraction of its pre-whaling size.

ENDS

Editors Notes

1)    Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) is a conservation charity based in Tobermory, Isle of Mull. Our aim is the conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Hebrides through education and research within the local community. www.hwdt.org, info@whaledolphintrust.co.uk, 01688 302620

2)  Sea Life Surveys pioneered whale watching in the UK and has been operating and collecting data on Scottish cetceans for over for 15 years. Today, Sea Life Surveys operate three boats running trips from ½hr trip for beginners to and 7 day live aboard cruise. www.sealifesurveys.com , info@sealifesurveys.com , booking office 01688 302916.

3) Picture copyright of photo above is to be credited to Hebridean Whale Dolphin Trust. Picture of humpback whale lunging feeding through a sprat baitball. Other pictures are available.

4) HWDT is an associate member of Wild Scotland . Wild Scotland is a new Wildlife Tourism Association in Scotland set up to promote responsible wildlife watching. All members sign a charter and will be involved in developing codes of conduct. www.wild-scotland.co.uk

5) The Nature Conservation ( Scotland ) Bill has been recently amended and now includes a clause which places a duty on Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to develop a Marine Wildlife Watching Code.