Beachgoers treated to sight of fin whale migrating south

A fin whale was seen swimming past the east side of the Rock on Monday close to shore.

“We have three verified sightings of what we believe to be the same fin whale migrating south, heading out to the Atlantic,” said Lewis Stagnetto, from the Nautilus Project.

The whale was seen off Catalan Bay, then off Sandy Bay and again off Europa Point.

Mr Stagnetto urged boat users to ensure they followed the Cetacean Protocol if they saw whales in waters around the Rock.

“If people see it on their boats, they should observe the Cetacean Protocol and keep their distance from the animal,” he said.

“Use your zoom to get closer for the footage, but don't get close with your boat and certainly don't chase it in the zone above, in front of, or behind the animal.”

“And if you're on the beach, it's great to log it on Nemo, which is our citizen science platform, which gives us the data and allows us to monitor frequencies and numbers of animals coming through.”