Humpback whale tracked off East Yorkshire coast

A volunteer marine animal medic has been tracking a humpback whale off the East Yorkshire Coast.

Beth Clyne, 25, who lives in Kilnsea, first saw the whale near Withernsea on 15 July.

It has since moved up to Easington and was last spotted in Kilnsea, Ms Clyne said.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said it was "rare" for a humpback to be spotted "this close inshore and for consecutive days".

Ms Clyne, who volunteers for British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), has monitored the whale for the past three days, spending 10 hours on the first day following it down the East Yorkshire coast.

She said it was "feeding constantly" and was believed to be the same whale that was spotted in Scarborough by a member of the public on 9 July.

By gathering photos of the whale and matching particular features including scars, experts can see if it had been elsewhere in the UK.

This can help marine biologists determine how far it has travelled and what it has been eating.

Reflecting on the experience of seeing the whale, Ms Clyne said: "I cannot put it into words. I have seen one before but not in Yorkshire, it's so exciting and a jaw-dropping experience.

"Someone asked me if I get bored but the suspense is quite exciting, you get an adrenaline rush."

Ms Clyne's advice to people hoping to spot a humpback whale was to go when the sea was calm and sit for an hour or two in a high spot.

She said: "Just enjoy it. Look for blows or a fin and take in the sounds and surroundings. Have your eyes to the sea."

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said humpback whales have previously been spotted off Flamborough headland, usually much further out than recent sightings.

The whale spotted by Ms Clyne was most likely to be chasing shoals of fish that were making their way down the coastline, the trust added.

Simone Evans, sightings officer from the Sea Watch Foundation, said: "Humpbacks remain rare in the UK but increasing (they were more or less unknown in English waters 20 years ago).

"Most sightings of humpbacks are between July and September and are often associated with the southward migration of herring.

"By contrast to Yorkshire, Lincolnshire very rarely has sightings of humpbacks so if this animal has gone down off that coast, it would be interesting."

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