Nik Mitchell: A very special sight off the coast of Margate

February 26, 2025 Kathy Bailes News 3

Spotted by Captain Jon Gosman and his crew

By Nik Mitchell

Photos and video from Captain Jon Gosman 

What appears to be a humpback whale was spotted by Captain Jon Gosman six miles off the Thanet coast today (February 26).

Jon and his crew were heading out to the Kentish Flats windfarm and were absolutely amazed to see this giant of the deep.

Humpback whales can grow up to 15m long and weigh up to 40 tonnes.

Jon reached for his phone and managed to take a short video of the marine mammal which he then sent to me.

 

Although humpback sightings are rare in the Eastern English Channel, there are usually a few sightings in the winter period as they migrate south, passing the UK.

They are well known for the long migration and most take the westerly route past Ireland, but a few take the easterly route past the UK and ultimately pass through the Channel to continue their journey.

Migration patterns: Blue indicates the area of summer feeding grounds and pink indicates winter grounds

They are found throughout the world’s oceans and perform some of the longest migrations of any mammal.

Jon said: “It may have been eating herring/sprats, there are huge amounts of them here between November and February.”

Photo Captain Jon Gosman

Humpback whales are famous for breaching the water and showing their tails when they dive, it makes them a very exciting thing to see.

Keep your eyes peeled if you’re on the coast. You might be lucky enough to see one of nature’s incredible giants, even in Thanet!

Nik Mitchell runs the Get Wild page on facebook

3 Comments

  2. Wind farms and nature do not mix! I hope the whale does not get confused by infrasound from the windmills and does not get beached on Margate sands…….

  3. It has a hazardous journey going down the channel, that’s for sure. I hope the boat people don’t touch it.

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