Latest news with #Minke
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
UK's cheapest seaside town surrounded by mountains where houses cost £103k
Famed for its whisky distilleries, nearby golden sandy beaches, and rich wildlife - this stunning seaside town is one of the cheapest in the UK, with homes costing as little as £103,000 A 'peaceful' seaside town tucked away in a deep bay and sheltered by a lush private island has seen its house prices plummet. Moving to the coast is the ultimate dream for many Brits, but due to skyrocketing demand and limited properties - waking up to crashing waves and golden sandy beaches comes with an unaffordable price tag. Take Sandbanks, for example, a stunning slice of the Jurassic Coastline in Dorset, where house prices average out at an eye-watering £965,708. However, if you're willing to ditch the lucrative south coast of England, you can get a lot more for your money. In fact, over in Campbeltown - situated on the scenic Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland, your new pad could cost just a fraction of the price. New data by Lloyds Banking Group found that average homes in the seaside town cost just £103.078 - an 11 per cent decrease compared to the year before. This is more than half of the average house price in the whole of the UK (£271,000), according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Once dubbed the whisky capital of the world, Campbeltown is still home to three active distilleries. Glen Scotia - one of Scotland's smallest whisky distilleries established in 1832 - still offers tours and tastings to the public. Springbank Whisky Distillers also operate in the town, and are the only place that carries out the entire whisky production process, including the traditional floor malting, maturation and bottling, on its premises. While Campbeltown doesn't actually have any of its own beaches, you'll be a stone's throw away from Westport Beach, which is often touted as the most 'beautiful' beach in Scotland. "Stretching over six miles, Westport Beach boasts the Machrihanish Dunes as its backdrop, a Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the biggest sand dune area in Argyll," hails Visit Scotland. "Popular with surfers and dog walkers, West Port Beach is also a wonderful place to relax and enjoy a picnic. The beach is nestled alongside Machrihanish Golf Course, one of the finest links golf courses in the UK." For a more adventurous day trip, head over to the privately-owned Davaar Island. Here, you'll find a wealth of wildlife, including otters, dolphins, golden eagles, Peregrine falcons, and even Minke whales - as well as a pebble beach, and crystal clear waters. "There are still pockets of real affordability – particularly in Scotland, where buyers can find coastal homes for a fraction of the price," said Amanda Byden, Head of Mortgages and Lloyds. "For those willing to look beyond the traditional hotspots, there are some hidden gems offering great value and a strong sense of community." If you're not quite ready to ditch London for a more laid-back life on the coast, you can always explore Campbeltown on your next staycation. Located almost 550 miles from the Big Smoke, driving here will take you a whopping 10 hours in the car. You can get a train over to Oban, which usually consists of two changes and takes around eight hours and 12 minutes. Single adult fares can be bought from as little as £69.90. But, from here, you'll still be a two-hour drive away from Campbeltown - which is one of the most remote seaside towns in the UK. Despite its small size and far-reaching location, you'll still be able to find a wide range of accommodation in the town. For example, a weekend's stay (Friday, June 20 - 22) at the Argyll Arms Hotel will set you back £210. This is based on two adults sharing a Double Room, and including breakfast. For those wanting a more regal stay, check out the Royal Hotel Campbeltown. Here, you can stay in a Double Room on the exact same dates for £351.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Whale watching tour off Newport Beach gets rare visit from ‘phantoms' of the Pacific
A whale-watching excursion off the coast of Orange County got an up-and-close visit by a pair of friendly and 'extremely curious' minke whales. The encounter happened Tuesday morning between the whales and a Davey's Locker Whale Watching tour just miles off the Newport Beach coastline. Video shared with KTLA showed the normally shy and flighty marine mammals approach the packed boat, circling it several times and surfacing several feet away. According to Jessica Rodriguez, the Education & Communications Manager at Davey's Locker Whale Watching, encounters like this are exceedingly rare. 'Typically shy and swift, Minke whales are often known as the 'phantoms' of the Pacific due to their brief surface time and quick movements,' Rodriguez said. 'This encounter was a heartwarming reminder of the deep connection that can occur between humans and marine life when we take the time to observe, respect, and protect our ocean environment.' Among the passengers to be treated to the rare display of interspecies diplomacy, was a group of students from the local Monte Vista Elementary School. For more information about tours like this, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Elusive sea creature seen on Canada coast. See why officials are ‘deeply concerned'
An elusive whale recently washed ashore in Canada, leaving local officials 'deeply concerned.' The deceased marine mammal was found on Port McNeill Bay — located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia — on May 14, according to a news release from the 'Namgis First Nation, a local government office. In photos, it can be seen laying on its stomach amid a vast stretch of wet sand. Its mouth was agape, revealing rows of white bristles. The creature was initially thought to be a Minke whale, but officials at the site later confirmed it was a young Bryde's whale — 'a species rarely seen in these northern waters.' Bay Cetology, a conservation non-profit that helped identify the whale, described the animal in a Facebook post as 'a very unusual visitor.' The organization added that, 'This is British Columbia's first record of a Bryde's whale that we are aware of.' As a result, officials said they were disturbed by the finding. 'The Nation is deeply concerned by the death of any whale, but the rarity of this species appearing so far north makes this event particularly significant,' 'Namgis First Nation said. Officials were dispatched to the site to educate onlookers and to ensure the carcass was treated with respect. A necropsy was conducted May 16, but the cause of death has not been revealed, according to the Whale Interpretive Center, another conservation non-profit, which described the finding as 'a surprise.' Bryde's whales — pronounced 'broodus' — are a baleen species named after Johan Bryde, an early 20th century whaler, according to the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA). The animals, which can grow up to 55 feet and weigh up to 90,000 pounds, are typically found throughout warmer parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. 'They are rarely seen in waters north of 35° latitude,' according to 'Namgis First Nation, which is 'roughly the same latitude as Los Angeles, California.' This means the recently discovered whale was found about 1,000 miles outside the species' typical range. The solitary creatures consume upwards of 1,000 pounds of food per day, with their diet largely consisting of shrimp, krill, crabs and schooling fish, according to NOAA. The population of the species is unknown becuase of a lack of data, and the species is protected throughout its range by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Vancouver Sun
17-05-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
Young Bryde's whale, rarely seen in B.C., washes up dead on Vancouver Island
A young Bryde's whale, which is rarely seen in B.C., has been found washed up dead on Vancouver Island, according to the 'Na̱mg̱is First Nation. The Nation's leaders are very concerned that the warming ocean due to human-caused climate change is contributing to whale mortality, especially since Bryde's whales don't usually travel this far north. News of the Bryde's whale comes after two dead grey whales washed up off the B.C. coast in the past week. The 'Na̱mg̱is were informed on Wednesday that a dead whale had washed ashore in Port McNeill Bay, located on the northern part of the Island. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The Marine Education and Research Society, the 'Na̱mg̱is and the Fisheries Department are working together to figure out what happened to the whale. Initial photos suggested the whale was a Minke whale, but once on site, MERS confirmed — with the support of Bay Cetology, a cetacean research group based in Alert Bay — that the whale was a Bryde's whale, a species rarely seen in northern waters, according to a 'Na̱mg̱is press release. The Nation is deeply concerned by the death of any whale, but the rarity of this species appearing so far north makes this event particularly significant. 'Na̱mg̱is Guardians were dispatched on May 15 to monitor the site, educate onlookers, and ensure public and pet safety with respect for the animal. A necropsy has been planned help determine the cause of death. Postmedia has left messages with the DFO asking for more information. ''Na̱mg̱is First Nation is very sad and concerned with the climate crisis and the health of our oceans,' said 'Na̱mg̱is Chief Victor Isaac. 'We will work with all parties to determine what has happened to this individual and hopefully come to better understand how to be the best stewards of our awi'nakola—our territory.' Bryde's whales are baleen whales that feed primarily on plankton and small schooling fish. They are rarely seen in waters north of a 35-degree latitude — roughly the same latitude as Los Angeles, California, said Isaac. More to come … ticrawford@
Winnipeg Free Press
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
From soprano to psychic
Michelle Minke was a successful opera singer for more than 20 years, performing on stages across Europe and North America. Based in Calgary, the 43-year-old is a graduate of the Opera School at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England, the Solti Te Kanawa Accademia in Italy and holds a masters in a masters in vocal pedagogy from the University of Toronto. Minke's evolution from singer to psychic medium came about after the stillbirth of her son during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says that his passing was her spiritual awakening. Supplied Calgary's Michelle Minke transitioned from opera singer to medium during the pandemic. Minke will be conducting a group mediumship reading Tuesday at the Park Theatre. A medium is… a translator for the spirit world. As a medium I connect to people who have passed… to spirits on the other side. I do one-on-one work, in person and via Zoom and I do group readings which are on a bigger scale. People have described the group readings as grief counselling. I hate it when people ask me what I do… even when I was an opera singer I hated that question. People would be like, 'What, how do you become an opera singer? Oh my God, that is crazy.' And now it's even more wild. I am working on saying… 'I am a medium and I hope it brings some curiosity to you,' instead of things like, 'It's kind of out there, it's really abstract,' and apologizing for it before I say it. I am also psychic… I can perceive information about a person, their energy, what is coming up for them, their emotional state and sometimes their health as well. There are so many stereotypes around psychics… people think we Google people before we read them. People are skeptical. Women will ask me if I can tune into their husband's energy… and see if he is cheating or thinking of divorce. This is always a very thin line for me. I believe any psychic or medium out there needs to be working in integrity, which means only tuning into someone if you have their consent. Otherwise it is witchcraft. I used to run an opera company, Cowtown Opera… we made fun of opera so we sang everything in English. I was so well known in the Canadian operatic scene. I had a huge community. It was brand suicide when I made the switch… I couldn't have chosen anything more controversial. People were saying, 'Michelle is crazy now, she has lost her mind, did you hear she thinks she's a psychic?' It has been very humbling… I have to trust the truth within myself. I have been called to do it and I have to live how I am supposed to. Supplied Calgary's Michelle Minke transitioned from opera singer to medium during the COVID-19 pandemic. Spirits are people, animals and guides… co-existing with us. We just cannot see them. They want to be contacted. People who love you want you to know they are OK. When we pass our spirit resonates at a very high frequency… we are a very low frequency here in the 3D world. For me to be a medium I have to raise my energy to connect with them and they have to lower theirs. It's almost like I have to dial into a certain radio station for us to connect. At live group readings… spirits are waiting to speak to people in the audience. Every audience member brings around 10 spirits with them. It is a very crowded room for me. I have to ask the spirits to step forward one at a time. I have met spirits that really screwed up here… people who have murdered, people who have raped. People who made really bad decisions here. There are some people who… don't want to hear from someone or don't want them to come through. People who have hurt them. There are a number of ways spirits can communicate to us… clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience and claircognizance. Clairvoyance is clear seeing… so having really vivid dreams or being able to see things in the imagination space of the mind. Clairaudience is hearing… people who will hear messages or voices through their ears. Music is a huge thing. For me I will hear people's names or I will hear a song. Clairsentience is the feeling… when we get goosebumps. That's really spirit communicating to us. Claircognizance is clear knowing… the gut instinct, that intuition when you are driving and you feel like, 'I have to take a really different way home today.' I have a very strict regime with the spirit world… I only connect to them when I say. They are not welcome to come to me in my dreams or the day before or when I am playing with my son or when I am grocery shopping. They know that's not the time to communicate with me. I have boundaries in place. Supplied For group readings, Minke says every audience member brings 10 spirits with them. One of the biggest things I've learned… is that we are all born good. Every single person is born good. When we die our spririt returns to the actual essence of our soul, which is good. We let our ego go, things that we were angry about, things we were guilty of, things we feel shame about, all that disappears when we return to our home. This is really complex to think about… because so much evil happens here. Whether it is who influences us or how we were raised or how we were abused. Our trauma, usually in childhood, really ends up defining us. This ability came to me in five years ago… during COVID I had a stillborn child. A few weeks after he had passed… I woke up, three nights in a row at exactly 2:38 a.m., to the scent of lilies. I started to feel like I was losing my mind. The second time it happened I told my husband I might need professional help. I was so worried I was googling things: 'What does it mean to smell lilies at two in the morning?' The third night… I woke up to a grown man at my bedside to my left. As soon as I looked at him I knew he was my son. He looked like me and my other son. I held his face in the physical form and said, 'Oh my God, it's you.' He just said, 'Yes.' Shortly after that I felt a lot of spirits come to me… I started having faces flash in front of my eyes. Everything about spirituality is an intention… I am creating an intention to connect to a spirit right now. I am creating the intention to communicate to the loved ones who have passed. It's like a prayer and then something that happens on an energetic level where I expand my energy to try and blend with that spirit to receive information. I wish the spirit world would communicate in English… and say, 'I am here, this is what is happening,' but it doesn't really work like that. Instead I see flashes of something or I will hear something or I will feel something with my body and then I do my best to translate that. I realized I am supposed to be communicating… on behalf of people who have passed but I didn't know to take the abstract things that were happening to me — I mean it sounds like mental health issues — and make it into something tangible. I had to learn how to strengthen my psychic abilities… from mediums such as Danielle Searancke from Squamish, B.C., Sean Collyns from Australia and Joanna Shipley who is based in the U.K. This all happened for me during COVID so it was all virtual. This summer I am going to be studying with Tony Stockwell in Bali. I think with any psychic or medium your journey is never over… you are constantly trying to improve and learn. Our soul is so complex, and the spiritual world is multi-layered and multi-faceted, that I am already looking for my next teacher. Supplied Michelle Minke admits some people are skeptical about her abilities. I was intuitive as a child… as children our minds are very open. We are all born with psychic senses. The veil is very thin and we can see both the physical world and the spiritual realm. These abilities are within us from very young but society and religious structures take some of that away. Then usually in later life… these abilities are awakened in people who have endured great trauma. I feel like that was the case for me. I was brought up very religious, very Christian… I think a lot of people are praying for my soul. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. Christianity teaches you not to connect with the spirit world… it's evil and you are going to bring in the devil, all of those kinds of things. It doesn't work like that. My dad ended up living with me after my mom passed away… and he is very curious about all of it. There is not a lot of judgment. The spiritual conversations we have are amazing — what are you doing? How does this all work? — that has been really interesting as well. I don't feel a lot of fear in this world… I only work in the light. If I feel a negative spirit has come in with a client, I say, 'You are not welcome here.' You can say a big eff off to anything that freaks you out. The spirit world listens because we are all equal. I am not interested in being entertainment for people… I want to make a profound difference. AV KitchingReporter AV Kitching is an arts and life writer at the Free Press. She has been a journalist for more than two decades and has worked across three continents writing about people, travel, food, and fashion. Read more about AV. Every piece of reporting AV produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. 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