Humpback whales make a splash in UK waters - as amazed viewers report sightings along the Sussex coastline
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UK wildlife watchers have been treated to an incredible spectacle in the first few weeks of this year as humpback whales make a splash in Britain's waters. The once-endangered whales have been spotted along the Sussex coastline, all the way from Eastbourne to Hastings.
![[Humpback whales normally appear off the West coast near Cornwall. But this year they have been found travelling down from the Arctic along the Sussex Coast. Pictured: A humpback whale spotted by a member of the public in Hastings]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/14/14/94080127-14283249-Humpback_whales_normally_appear_off_the_West_coast_near_Cornwall-a-20_1736865050527.jpg)
Other whales have made an appearance off the coast of Deal in Kent, while two more have been spotted in Cornwall in the last few days. Stunning videos show the 40-tonne mammals breaching above the waves in majestic leaps before crashing down with a splash.
![[The sightings reveal some fascinating details of the whales' behaviour. In this sighting, made on January 12 in the Birling Gap, you can see a whale slapping its pectoral fin on the water. Scientists believe this is a form of long-range communication]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/14/14/94077973-14283249-image-a-6_1736863784249.jpg)
Whale experts say these sightings in the UK are not unheard of, but that it is very rare for humpbacks to travel up the east coast. Their sudden appearance has sparked hopes that the numbers of humpback whales could be rising after coming close to extinction in the 1990s.
![[Whales have also been seen breaching in a number of places including in Cornwall (pictured). Experts believe that humpback whales uses these leaps to send messages over vast distances]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/14/14/94077985-14283249-image-a-21_1736865068527.jpg)
However, some scientists are concerned that the changing patterns could be a sign that warming waters are pushing whales further afield in search of food. Danny Groves, head of communications at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, told MailOnline: 'Humpback populations, in general, are recovering after their numbers were decimated by hunting, but it could also be that humpbacks are being forced to change their movements due to changes in climate.'.
![[Meanwhile, more humpbacks have also been spotted along their usual migratory routes near Cornwall. Experts say this could be due to an encouraging increase in the humpback whale population since the abolition of commercial hunting. Pictured: A humpback seen from a drone at Watergate Bay in Cornwall on January 2]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/14/14/94077301-14283249-image-m-8_1736863800557.jpg)
Wildlife fans in Sussex have been treated to an incredible spectacle during the first weeks of the year as humpback whales make a rare appearance along the UK's East coast. Pictured: A whale breaches near Hastings on January 3. Humpback whales normally appear off the West coast near Cornwall. But this year they have been found travelling down from the Arctic along the Sussex Coast. Pictured: A humpback whale spotted by a member of the public in Hastings.
![[Researchers have recorded humpback whales changing their calls when they move to new pastures in order to match the songs of others around them (file photo)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/10/24/16/5367958-6312111-image-a-1_1540394826819.jpg)
