Humpback whales ‘making a comeback’

scotland: Retired biologist says future is bright for the leviathans

Giant humpback whales are making a dramatic comeback in Scottish seas, according to an expert.

Ron Macdonald, a retired biologist from Scottish Natural Heritage, said the future is “bright for the return of the giants” and named a site off the Isle of Lewis as “the single most important location for humpback whales in Scottish and UK waters.”

Humpback whales can grow to 52 feet and weigh about 79,000lb.

They have the largest forelimbs in the animal kingdom – leading to their scientific name Megaptera, “giant winged.”

They have 19ft-long flippers which make them prone to snagging ropes.

Given that they cannot swim backwards, a simple entanglement can be fatal or lead to prolonged suffering.

With access to Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) and the Seawatch Foundation data, Mr Macdonald looked at the number and distribution of humpback sightings off Scotland, which showed sightings have increased since the mid 2000s to the present day.

“Undoubtedly the rise in the use of social media has led to an increase in awareness of the importance of reporting sightings so we need to consider this when interpreting the data,” Mr Macdonald wrote in a blog for the WDC.

“Nonetheless the trend looks pretty convincing that the giants are making a comeback. The distribution of sightings is concentrated in a few hot-spots: on the east coast from Montrose to the Ythan estuary, the Moray Firth, the Northern and Western Isles, the Minch, the Clyde and the Firth of Forth.”

Picture: Getty. Humpback whales can grow to 52ft-long.