Should you be here?

On Friday, January 3rd, 2025, the most intriguing reel dropped into my Instagram feed. It was a breaching humpback whale from the Sussex Dolphin Project account, sent in by an observer and shot in Hastings, on the southeast coast of England. 

What made this so compelling for me was that it had been filmed just a few miles from my home—not the Arctic or Antarctica, but just down the road. This is a coastline where dolphin and seal sightings are relatively frequent, but humpbacks breaching, not so much, and guaranteed to get some serious attention. Including mine. 

Spotting a humpback whale off the Sussex coast is an extraordinary event, and I have confidence in this statement, having been based here for 49 years. Humpback whales are not typically associated with the waters of southern England, but sightings like these can occur, as documented by this very public breaching display in Hastings and other neighbouring towns just a few days ago. 

So why are humpbacks so close to (my) home, and why now?

 "We were lucky enough to spot a humpback breaching off Beachy Head on December 14th during a Sussex Dolphin Project land watch and since then have received sporadic sightings". Lloyd Gofton, Director, Sussex Dolphin Project told explorearth.com. "That changed on January 2nd when we started receiving sightings of a humpback moving along the East Sussex coast, and the number of sightings grew significantly on Friday, January 3rd, with breaching behaviour captured off Hastings and St Leonards, as well as further sightings in Rye, Bexhill, Pett Level, Pevensey and Eastbourne. More sightings came in from Eastbourne and Beachy Head on Saturday, January 4th, but we haven't received any more since then. This is likely because the sea state has deteriorated, making sightings more difficult".