Minke whale seen in Scotland for decades sets record for number of years spotted
dailyrecord.co.ukA popular minke whale that has been visiting the coast of Scotland for almost 30 years has set a new record in Europe for the number of years she has been spotted.According to Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT), Snowy the whale has been coming to the Scottish Hebrides for 27 years.
HWDT states that this makes Snowy — named after a white patch on her dorsal fin — the minke whale with longest-known history of sightings in Europe.Minke whales are mid-sized whales that can grow up to nine metres and live for as long as 50 years.
Scotland is the area of the UK that has the most sightings, with the species usually migrating to the seas in western Scotland every summer to feed in the exceptionally rich waters.HWDT keeps records of whales, dolphins, porpoises, and basking sharks off the west coast of the country.
It has recently published a digital catalogue of minke whale sightings from across the last three decades, including photographs.The catalogue is intended to help the Trust's scientists better evaluate the health of the whales, as well as the threats facing them.
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