NATURE lovers are expected to flock to the west coast of Scotland this weekend in a bid to catch a rare glimpse of the largest predator on the planet.
The crowds will be hoping to spot a sperm whale which has been identified in the Sound of Raasay, off the isle of Skye.
Calum MacAskill and his wife, who live locally, saw the mammal as they were returning home from a wildlife boat trip to the Isle of Rona.
The couple’s attention was drawn to a splash in the water and when they looked through their binoculars, they spotted a large tail fluke.
Mr MacAskill said: “It took a few minutes to realise that we were not looking at a minke whale but had the chance of a lifetime to watch and photograph a magnificent sperm whale. It was a privilege and an unforgettable experience.”
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) said the details of Mr MacAskill’s sighting indicated that the whale, believed to be male, was feeding.
The nature enthusiast said: “The whale was on the surface for approximately 15 minutes before it dived with its fluke high out of water. He resurfaced after about 20 minutes.”
HWDT claimed that sightings of sperm whales are rare off Scotland’s west coast, but not unheard of. The last sighting was off Canna in 2008 but the majority come from The Minch and waters off Skye.
Sandra Koetter, HWDT’s sightings officer, said: “Sperm whales are a deep-diving cetacean, making long dives to hunt for prey. Another deep-diving cetacean, the northern bottlenose whale, was also reported in the Sound of Raasay in August.”
The whale had uncharacteristic circular indents behind his blowhole and white colouration on his dorsal fin.
Sperm whale expert Dr Jonathan Gordon said that he had never seen an animal with a dent like that before.
He added: “If the animal was wounded by a ship collision or entanglement then it seems to have healed. The striking white on the dorsal fin appears to be a result of wear rather than calluses, which are more common in females.”
A spokesman for HWDT said: “In recent years there have been many reports of boats hitting basking sharks in particular in waters around the west coast; and entanglement in discarded ropes, lines, packing tape and other litter is prevalent.
“Another threat to deep diving cetaceans in particular, is excessive underwater noise.
“With the Joint Warrior military exercise due to begin in October throughout the West Coast, HWDT are concerned that the intense noise generated by military sonar will have an adverse effect on the cetaceans.”
The charity urged anyone who sees the whale to report it on its website www.hwdt.org.
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