A humpback whale was spotted breaching in the waters around Hastings in East Sussex this morning, as a crowd of locals gathered to witness the sweet sight out at sea
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Whales spotted frolicking off the coast of Hastings
Brits were left with awe when a humpback whale was spotted playing off the coast of the UK, as they jumped in and out of the sea.
A crowd of people could not believe their eyes as they gathered at the seafront to watch the majestic mammal playing. As they watched on, the beautiful whale – identified by many as a humpback owing to its large front flippers – breached several times as it swam past the coast of Hastings, East Sussex.
It was caught on video by Kitty Dale. Several people commented on a video shared on Facebook. One said: “It’s possible it’s the same one seen at Rye Harbour earlier today. If so, it’s a Humpback Whale.
“Looks very healthy with all those breaches. Good luck to it.”
Another added: “My three-year-old son saw this today while we were on the bus. He told me there was something in the water, but I did not see it.”
Another delighted eyewitness added: “This was absolutely amazing! I can’t believe I saw the whales.”
Although found throughout the world’s oceans, sightings of humpback whales are sporadic around the UK. When they are seen here it is usually around the Shetland Isles and the Hebrides.
They can reach up to 18m long and boast huge 5m long pectoral fins. Three sightings were reported to the Seawatch Foundation
Last year, a massive humpback whale sent people flying into the sea when it crushed a boat as it came up for air. Shocking footage captured the moment a breaching whale slammed its body down on a small boat off the coast of new Hampshire, in the US.
The force of the impact sent several people from the boat hurtling into the water, although they are believed to be uninjured. A clip of the whale crushing the boat was uploaded to X and went viral. In the video, the breaching whale could be seen quickly coming up for are before bringing its huge body down onto the vessel.
Seconds later, a couple of people were seen being flung into the sea as the small boat was forced upward before the whale plunged back into the water.
User World Hall of Fun added: “This is, by far, one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen. So magnificent. I pray the world keeps saving the whales.” While EllyKayUSA commented: “They’re just playing. Unfortunately, when a 40 tonne whale tags ‘you’re it,’ you might die.”
