Wildlife cameraman captures surprise humpback whale sighting off Welsh coast

Wildlife cinematographer Dan Abbot described an unexpected and "special" encounter with a humpback whale off the coast of Pembrokeshire, Wales. Abbot, known on social media as Sharkman Dan, was on a scheduled blue shark snorkelling trip on September 25 when the rare sighting occurred.

While whale sightings are not unusual on planned trips, Abbot stated this experience was a "a complete surprise." Lloyd Nelmes of Sea Trust Wales noted that such an unexpected sighting is highly unusual, even for professionals who spend considerable time observing marine life. "For a normal person, it's insanely rare," Nelmes added.

The encounter happened approximately 25 to 30 miles offshore in the Celtic Deep. Abbot and his guests had just finished a snorkelling trip and observed typical activity in the area, including bluefin tuna, dolphins, and gannets feeding. Initially, when a whale blow was spotted in the distance, Abbot suspected it might be a minke or fin whale, which are more common in Welsh waters. "If it's a big blow, then it's probably a fin whale," he recalled saying.

As the boat moved closer to the feeding area, Abbot noticed distinct characteristics that identified the whale as a humpback. "I noticed that when it came up for a blow, it actually had white pectoral fin, which fin whales don't have," Abbot explained. He also observed that the whale lifted its tail out of the water, a behaviour not typical of fin whales, and noted the presence of barnacles on its head, which fin whales lack.

"I actually went quiet for a moment. At that point, it was pretty clear it was a humpback whale," Abbot said. He reflected that while he often remains quiet during wildlife observations, the unexpected nature of this sighting made it particularly memorable. "I'm a wildlife cameraman but when something happens like that unexpectedly and catches you off guard, there's something about it that kind of makes it even more special."

Guests aboard the boat were already in good spirits from the four-hour snorkelling excursion, and Abbot described the whale sighting as "an incredible way to finish the day."

While humpback whale sightings are rare in Welsh waters, they are not unheard of, occurring approximately once every two to three years, according to Nelmes. He recalled a previous sighting of a humpback whale in Pembrokeshire in 2024, describing it as his "top wildlife moment of my life."

Nelmes suggested that the increasing frequency of such sightings might indicate an abundance of food in the area. He noted that the day before Abbot's encounter, he had observed six fin whales, tuna, and over a thousand dolphins in the Celtic Deep, suggesting that the humpback whale was likely taking advantage of the rich feeding opportunities.