Irish humpback whale update

This November 2014 video is called Norwegian fishermen have close encounter with hunting Humpback Whales (English subtitles).

From Wildlife Extra:

New addition to the Irish Humpback whale collection

Previously unrecorded Humpback spotted off Kerry

August 2013. The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) have confirmed the first addition to the Irish Humpback whale catalogue of the 2013/14 large whale season after a whale, romantically named as HBIRL23, was observed by IWDG member Nick Massett on both 27th & 28th July off Clogher and Sybil Heads in West Kerry.

Whale identification

Fluke and dorsal shots have been run through the IWDG catalogue and they have confirmed that this individual has never previously been documented in Irish waters.

Looking for match in USA

The flukes of this “type 1” are extremely white with >90% white pigmentation which is not common in Irish waters. The superb quality fluke shot … taken by Nick Massett has been forwarded to the Allied Whale, Bar Harbour, Maine, USA, who curate the North Atlantic Humpback whale catalogue, where it will be run through a database of over 7,000 fluke shots for matching patterns.

Read more on the IWDG website.

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• A30 Orcas and humpback whales in Blackfish Sound & Weynton Passage ~ Brilliant viewing! (seasmokewhalewatching.com)
• Humpbacks are back and thriving (blogs.seattletimes.com)