Dan Abbot, a wildlife cinematographer and shark guide known as Sharkman Dan, spotted a humpback whale off the Pembrokeshire coast on September 25 while leading a blue shark snorkelling trip in the Celtic Sea, roughly 25-30 miles offshore.
Abbot has filmed humpback whales before, but only on planned expeditions where sightings are routine. This encounter was unexpected. The group had just finished a snorkelling session and observed feeding activity among bluefin tuna, dolphins and gannets when a guest spotted a whale blow in the distance. Abbot initially suspected a minke or fin whale, the two most common species in Welsh waters.
As the boat moved closer, Abbot identified distinctive features that confirmed it was a humpback: white pectoral fins, a raised tail fluke, and barnacles around the head. Fin whales lack these characteristics.
"I don't really get that excited, which sounds strange," Abbot said. "I'm usually one of the quietest ones on the boat, but I think it was just because it was such a surprise to see that species."
Lloyd Nelmes, a marine project officer with Sea Trust Wales, described the sighting as "unusual for someone who works in the field... who probably has their eyes on the water every day", adding it would be "insanely rare" for a typical observer. Nelmes noted that humpback sightings occur roughly once every two or three years in Welsh waters, though he suggested frequency may be increasing.
Nelmes spotted his own humpback in 2024 that breached directly in front of his boat. He attributed the recent activity to abundant food sources. The Celtic Deep had exceptional marine activity at the time, with Nelmes observing six fin whales, balling tuna and over 1,000 dolphins on a trip the day before Abbot's encounter.
Abbot credited the unexpected nature of the discovery with making it especially memorable. "When something happens like that unexpectedly and catches you off guard, there's something about it that kind of makes it even more special," he said.