Abstract
Here we report on the sudden seasonal occurrence of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae within the Firth of Forth, Scotland, UK over the winter months of 2017 and 2018. Sightings and photographs collected by citizen scientists of the Forth Marine Mammal Project were inspected and a fluke photograph compared to existing catalogues from all known feeding and breeding grounds across the North Atlantic. No matches to breeding grounds were found but a fluke match to a non-catalogued individual in Svalbard (Norway) constitutes the first confirmed movement of a UK-recorded humpback whale from high-latitude feeding grounds. A different individual was photographed in the Firth of Forth in both 2017 and 2018, providing evidence of a whale returning to the Firth of Forth in consecutive years. Despite year-round observation, the discrete seasonality of sightings suggests that the Firth of Forth may represent a migratory stopover or alternative destination for humpback whales on their southbound migration. Overall, these findings constitute a formalised baseline of information regarding the occurrence of humpback whales in the Firth of Forth and contribute to our understanding of the migration habits of humpback whales in the eastern North Atlantic.
Highlights
Following severe decline due to commercial whaling (Tønnessen and Johnsen, 1982), humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski 1781) populations in the North Atlantic region have been undergoing steady recovery during the latter part of the twentieth century (Katona and Beard, 1990; Weir et al 2001; Leopold et al 2018)
Given the timing and relatively short duration of sightings in the Firth of Forth each year, it is possible that this area represents a migratory stopover, a feeding or recovery opportunity en route of a longer migration, rather than an ultimate destination
It is well documented that humpback whales cover large distances travelling between highlatitude summer feeding grounds and low-latitude winter breeding grounds (Baker et al 1990, Katona and Beard, 1990; Kennedy et al 2013; Stevick et al 2011) and eastern North Atlantic humpback whales are known to make seasonal migrations to winter breeding grounds in the West Indies and Cape Verde (Jann et al 2003, Stevick et al 2016, Wenzel et al 2009)
Summary
Following severe decline due to commercial whaling (Tønnessen and Johnsen, 1982), humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski 1781) populations in the North Atlantic region have been undergoing steady recovery during the latter part of the twentieth century (Katona and Beard, 1990; Weir et al 2001; Leopold et al 2018). Commercial whaling in Scottish waters ended in 1951 (Parsons, 2012) and in the wider North Atlantic in 1955 (Stevick et al 2003). All records of humpback whale presence, including visual, acoustic and strandings, remain low (Reid et al 2003), there have been increasing records for this species in Scotland and the wider eastern North Atlantic region since the mid-1980s
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
