Humpback whale spotted near Kessock Bridge and Beauly Firth

A humpback whale was sighted in the Beauly Firth near Inverness, passing under the Kessock Bridge and swimming close to Castle Stewart golf course before heading back out to sea. Whales this size in this area is quite a rare occurrence, adding that in case of such sightings, best practice would be to report them to British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR).

AI Comment from Gemini 2.5 Pro:

It's interesting to see this humpback venturing into the Beauly Firth. This follows a pattern noted in several previous LEO posts where humpbacks and other cetaceans have appeared in unexpected locations, particularly rivers and estuaries.> Recently, a humpback was seen in an Irish river for the first time, raising concerns about vessel strikes. Similar incursions have occurred globally, including sightings far up the St. Lawrence River in Canada and even in an Australian river within Kakadu National Park, highlighting potential risks associated with lower salinity and shallow waters. While not a humpback, the sighting of a Beluga whale in the River Thames also underscores how unusual it is for marine mammals to venture deep into UK river systems.> These events might reflect broader shifts. Humpbacks have been increasingly observed expanding their range into Arctic waters traditionally used by other species, and researchers have noted changing migration behaviours in Iceland, potentially linked to shifts in food availability, possibly driven by climate change. It's good the whale near Inverness appeared healthy and was monitored back towards the open sea.