The sound of a humpback whale's huge tail lapping against the gray waters as it leaps from the sea is becoming an increasingly possible natural thrill across the UK, although it remains rare.

The 30-tonne, 15-metre-long migratory giant crocodile has been seen increasing in number and location this winter from Kent to the Isles of Scilly.

There were 17 whale sightings around the Isles of Scilly between December 29 and January 8 this year. Among the several individuals found, one named Pi because of the unique markings on its caudal fin (tail lobe) has been appearing around the archipelago every year since 2019 for the winter holidays.

More unusually, humpback whales have also been spotted in the eastern English Channel, off the coast of Deal, Kent, and Eastbourne, Sussex. The sightings in Deal and Eastbourne took place within an hour.

"I know humpback whales are fast, but they're not that fast," said Thea Taylor of the Sussex Dolphin Project. This means there were at least two people involved in the sighting.

Humpback whales are migrating from their feeding grounds near Tromso, Norway, to the warm waters around the Cape Verde Islands, where they rest and breed.

Traditionally, whales would have been on the west side of Britain, but some now swim along the east coast through the Strait of Dover, possibly to re-establish ancestral routes that were abandoned when whales hunted large numbers of humpbacks in the 19th and 20th centuries. . -hunter.

Experts say the sightings could be a positive sign that the global population of 84,000 humpback whales is recovering since commercial hunting was banned in 1986.

But the increase in winter sightings may also be related to changes in food availability. Humpback whales are filter feeders, feeding on large amounts of plankton, tiny crustaceans, and small fish.

"We're seeing a lot of baitfish - small fish like anchovies - on the south west coast," said Ruth Williams, head of marine conservation at the Wildlife Trusts. "They reproduce very quickly, and with climate change, their populations are moving closer to our waters."

Wildlife guide Carl Chapman reports that late last year a fisherman saw what may have been a humpback whale off the coast of East Anglia, along with a large pod of minke whales being spawned Attracted by special gatherings of herring.

He believes the increase in whale numbers around the British coast is due to warmer waters leading to a more northerly distribution of prey. According to Chapman, Cory's Gulls and Great Black Shearwaters, fish-eating birds typically found south of the Bay of Biscay, have also been found farther north in recent fall, supporting this theory.

Marine scientists warn that there is currently no conclusive evidence to support any theory - the reasons for their appearance across the UK include the more alarming suggestion that food-starved individuals are forced to suspend their migration south to obtain food.

Williams warned whale watchers not to disturb the whales by getting too close from their boats. "These individuals may stop because they are vulnerable and need to eat, so we ask boat owners to give them space."

"It's hard not to see humpback whales leaping out of the water and not want to protect the ocean," said Emily Cooper, science communicator for the Ocean Conservancy. "But whales and marine life are facing significant pressures, including getting caught in 'ghost' fishing nets, oceans are getting busier and there is more noise pollution." All of this has the potential to change whale behavior. "

There are concerns that humpback whales must pass through crowded shipping channels, wind farms and new power cable installations along their eastward migration route around the UK, which could disorient them or lead to collisions or strandings.

"The Strait of Dover is a very small area of ​​water, very narrow and very busy - not only with shipping but also with a lot of industrial fishing," Taylor said. "There is always a concern about collisions with large shipping vessels. So far we know they appear to follow the coast through Kent and Sussex - we hope they continue to do this and stay away from the busiest shipping lanes."

The sighting of humpback whales off the Kent coast has also raised concerns about the impact of new undersea cables from new offshore wind farms on marine mammals.

Emma Waller, planning and policy officer at Kent Wildlife Trust, said National Grid's Sea Link project, which plans to install underwater cables between Kent and Suffolk, has not yet been developed to protect whales, seals and other marine mammals. Adequate research on the effects of animals and their effects. Landing in Pegwell Bay could disrupt marine ecosystems.

"These sightings highlight the need for large-scale offshore projects like Sea Link to fully consider their impacts on marine mammals," Waller said. "Their current approach lacks adequate mitigation for marine mammals. Renewable energy is critical But when alternative energy sources are available, it must not come at the expense of wildlife.

“There needs to be a review of the ecological survey standards for projects like this – we need to understand what those impacts and impacts are going to be.”