AN incredibly rare sighting of a blue whale in English waters was captured on camera by scientists from Southampton.

Experts from the National Oceanography Centre, aboard the RRS James Cook, sighted the huge mammal – twice as long as bus -. 400 km southwest of Cornwall, over a deep-sea canyon on the northern edge of the Bay of Biscay.

It was photographed by Professor Russell Wynn, who said that it was the first time he had seen a Blue Whale in over 20 offshore research expeditions.

“It was definitely an ambition realised!” he said.

“The whale surface about 1km away, and we first started thinking it was something different from Fin Whale when we saw the tail flukes (which Fin Whale never shows).

"We then focussed on the pre-dive roll when the animal arches the back, and that got us good views of the colour and stubby dorsal fin (quite different to Fin Whale).

"We waited with the camera for it to surface again, which it duly did, and that was when I managed to nail the conclusive images. So we managed to secure the ID pretty quickly.”

Daily Echo:

The species, the largest creature ever seen on earth, was hunted to near-extinction in the Atlantic in the early 20th century but the NOC say recent sightings, and others from observers on ferries crossing the Bay of Biscay further south, may indicate that the population is slowly recovering and moving into new areas.

In addition to the Blue Whale, Prof Wynn has recorded over 20 Fin Whales (the second largest animal on Earth) in the deep waters of the canyon, part of which lies within English waters.

On the same day that the Blue Whale was seen (August 24) the survey team recorded a Broad-billed Swordfish several hundred metres below the surface using their Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV).

This may also be the first footage of these creatures obtained in English waters.

Daily Echo:

Prof Russell Wynn

Dr Veerle Huvenne, the expedition’s chief scientist, added: “There was huge excitement on board as many people got a glimpse of their first Blue Whale, but only later did we realise that this is probably the first to be photographed within English waters.

"The Biscay margin is already recognised as a hotspot for whales, dolphins and seabirds – our new data further underline the importance of this area for iconic marine life.”

The research expedition on RRS James Cook is funded by the European Research Council project is mostly focussed on seabed habitats and fauna, although marine mammal and seabird observations are carried out daily.

Blue Whale fact file

  • A 2002 report estimated there were 5,000 to 12,000 blue whales worldwide.
  • Their tongues can weigh as much as an elephant and their hearts as much as a car.
  • They can swim at speeds of more than 30mph over a short distance.
  • We can’t hear them but blue whales are one of the loudest animals on the planet, communicating with each other with low frequency pulses, groans, and moans.
  • In good conditions it is believed blue whales can hear each other over distances of up to 1,600km.
  • A newborn baby blue whale (calf) can weigh up to 2,700kg and up to 8m long.
  • The calf drinks more than 600 litres of milk each day and gaining about 90kg per day for its first year.