Rare sighting of parent and child humpback whales off Kitanakagusuku’s East coast

Rare sighting of parent and child humpback whales off Kitanakagusuku’s East coast

On the morning of February 7 a humpback whale breaches off the coast of Atsuta Harbor in Kitanakagusuku Village. (Photograph courtesy of a Ryukyu Shimpo reader)


 

February 13, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

On the morning of February 7 off the coast at Atsuta Harbor in Kitanakagusuku Village, a parent and child pair of humpback whales were spotted jumping up from the surface of the water in a behavior known as “breaching.”

A male employee of the Nanjo branch office of the Tsuhako Sashiki Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives captured a video of these whales.

He said, “I often see short-finned pilot whales, but for humpback whales to appear is rare.

I was surprised because this is the first time I have seen them up close, too.” The employee expressed excitement while recalling the unexpected encounter.

That day, tourists from abroad accompanied the employee on a fishing tour off the coasts of Kudaka Island and Tsuken Island.

He mentioned that about 20 minutes after departing from port, suddenly a large whale jumped up, and he saw a large splash of water.

A humpback whale breaches as spectators exclaim in delight at the unexpected event. (Photograph courtesy of a Ryukyu Shimpo reader)

The tourists in the boat with him also exclaimed in delight. He said, “We also asked some fishermen about it, and everyone was astonished. I think it was a great experience for the tourists who happened to be there.”

 

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

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