Whales spotted in the Forth! - The Edinburgh Reporter

SPECTACULAR SPERM WHALE SIGHTING IN FIRTH OF FORTH

The Scottish Seabird Centre is thrilled to announce the spectacular sighting of a pod of 14 sperm whales in the Firth of Forth. The whales were seen swimming in the Firth last Thursday between 1 and 2pm, heading from the island of Fidra to the Lamb, just a mile offshore from the award-winning Seabird Centre at North Berwick which is an official Sea Watch Foundation National Whale and Dolphin Watch 2013 site. The whales then appeared to change direction, heading towards Crail in Fife.

The amazing sight was reported to the Seabird Centre by microlight pilots from East of Scotland Microlights who spotted the whales from a height of around 500 feet and captured some stunning images. The water was completely still apart from the disturbance created by the whales’ blowholes and the froth churned by their tails. The whales were also observed by Scottish Natural Heritage staff and other researchers on the Isle of May who were able to identify the whales’ tail flukes, dorsal fins and plumes of spray. Their sighting reports, along with expert views, confirm that these were almost certainly sperm whales.