The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘Humpy’ the whale believed to have returned to the Forth
Visitor feeding off the coast thought to be whale from last year
A humpback whale which thrilled wildlife watchers for three months last year appears to have returned to the Forth.
It is thought a whale feeding off the coast of Kinghorn is the same one that arrived in January 2017.
Hundreds of nature enthusiasts have flocked to the village and coastal viewpoints along to Aberdour in the hope of seeing the massive mammal, thought to be around 35 feet long.
Humpy, as some have nicknamed it, was first spotted from Kinghorn on January 2 and put on a show for spectators at Kinghorn Beach at the weekend, surfacing repeatedly for around six hours.
Wildlife enthusiast Ronnie Mackie, who lives in the village and set up the Forth Marine Mammal Project group on Facebook, said: “There have been hundreds of people watching all round the Forth.
“The whale has been feeding up near Oxcars lighthouse and near Inchmickery and Inchcolm.
“People on the Edinburgh side are able to see it as well.”
He said it was yet to be confirmed as last year’s whale but its arrival at the same time of year is exciting.
“You can tell by the pattern on the tail if it’s the same one but because of the weather we haven’t had good enough photographs yet to have them compared.
“It is here at exactly the same time and for the same reason; there are lots of fish in the Forth just now.”
Paul Smith, British Divers Marine Life Rescue coordinator for Fife, is keeping a watching brief from shore.
He said: “It’s highly likely it’s the same whale as last year.
“Instead of making the big migration some humpbacks, probably young ones not of mature age to breed, are staying around Scotland.
“We’ve had one at St Cyrus and two at Aberdeen.”