Latest news with #JohnCoe
The National
a day ago
- The National
Rare footage shows extraordinary whales off Scotland's west coast
The short clip, recorded aboard a Hebrides Cruises vessel, shows the whales accelerating and surging to the surface with mouths wide open to engulf shoals of fish. This behaviour, known as "lunge feeding", is one of the most dramatic feeding strategies in the natural world, with whales gulping down huge amounts of water and prey in just seconds. The footage was recorded in The Minch, a marine corridor between the Outer Hebrides and mainland Scotland, with strong tidal flows and mixing currents. Five fast facts about minke whales in Scotland Minke whales are the second smallest of the baleen whales, which have throat grooves that distend when feeding. Adults reach 6.9m (males) to 8m (females) in length, with calves born each year and nursed for 4-6 months. Many small whales seen in Scottish waters are thought to be less than a year old. Calves are often the most curious, sometimes staying close to vessels as if mistaking them for their mothers. They feed on small fish and plankton by filtering water through baleen combs. Minke whales migrate between tropical breeding grounds in winter and colder feeding grounds in summer. In the Hebrides, they are typically seen from April to October. Hebrides Cruises has spotted minke whales on most of its cruises this season and reports all sightings to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) via the Whale Watch app. James Fairbairns, skipper at Hebrides Cruises, said: 'While minke whales are one of the most regularly seen baleen whale species in The Minch during the summer months, witnessing lunge feeding behaviour is relatively rare. We might encounter feeding whales a handful of times in a season, but seeing a clear, sustained lunge feeding event, as in this footage, is a real highlight. This year, there have been a few isolated sightings, but this was one of the most dramatic displays we've witnessed. READ MORE: Are the Edinburgh Fringe food stalls worth it? Here's my honest verdict "Guests were absolutely thrilled – for many, it was their first time seeing a whale in the wild, let alone such close-up feeding behaviour. The excitement on deck was palpable, with cameras clicking, binoculars scanning, and numerous 'did you see that!' moments. Encounters like this are unforgettable and a reminder of the incredible wildlife right on our doorstep in Scotland.' Earlier this summer, Hebrides Cruises guests were also treated to a sighting of John Coe, the UK's most famous killer whale, near the Isle of Mull. Later this month, Hebrides Cruises' second 'In Search of Giants' expedition cruise departs from Oban. This pioneering 10-night voyage to the former whaling grounds west and north of Scotland sold out within hours for both 2025 and 2026, with bookings now being taken for 2027. The cruise ventures beyond the Outer Hebrides to the continental shelf-edge west and north of St Kilda.
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Miami Herald
06-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Pair of apex predators spotted off Irish coast for first time in 2025, video shows
World Pair of apex predators spotted off Irish coast for first time in 2025, video shows A well-known pair of killer whales was recently spotted off the coast of Ireland for the first time in nearly a year, video footage shows. It was also the first killer whale sighting off the country in 2025. Photo from Tatjana Eva, UnSplash A pair of well-known orcas — believed to be the last surviving members of their community — was spotted off the coast of Ireland after going undetected for nearly a year. The marine mammals, named John Coe and Aquarius, were seen near Rathlin Island — located on the northern coast of the Emerald Isle — on May 5, according to a news release from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), a conservation nonprofit. Video footage posted by the group shows one of the orcas, distinguished by its tall dorsal fin, briefly breaching the choppy surface before slipping back below the waves. It's the organization's first confirmed killer whale sighting of 2025, making it 'an important record.' It's also the first time the duo has been documented since July 2024, when they were seen off the Blasket Islands, located on the country's southwest coast, hundreds of miles away. John Coe and Aquarius, both males, are thought to be the only remaining members of the Scottish West Coast Community Group, which had up to 9 members not long ago. Members of the group are differentiated from other orcas by their 'unusual sloping eye patch and larger size,' according to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, a Scottish conservation nonprofit. John Coe is believed to be over 60 years old and Aquarius is assumed to be slightly younger, according to the group. Sightings of John Coe in the area date back to at least the 1980s, when he was spotted in groups of up to 20 animals. But, in recent years, several members of their community have died, while others have disappeared from the record. And no calves have been documented. 'How this group has come so close to extinction, with just two remaining old bulls, in such a relatively short period of time remains something of a mystery,' according to IWDG. Killer whales, which are found throughout the world's oceans, face a number of threats, including entanglements with fishing gear, vessel strikes, oil spills and lack of food from overfishing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. BR Brendan Rascius McClatchy DC Go to X Email this person Brendan Rascius is a McClatchy national real-time reporter covering politics and international news. He has a master's in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's in political science from Southern Connecticut State University.
