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Pod Of Killer Whales Spotted In Scotland

Pod Of Killer Whales Spotted In Scotland

The rare sighting of six whales shocked tourists

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Shocked tourists saw a pod of killer whales near the shore in Glasgow.


Passengers on the Western Ferries boat spotted the little gang of whales on the River Clyde and couldn't believe their eyes.

Taking to social media, Maureen Campbell, who was lucky enough to witness the rare occurrence, said: "Best ferry journey ever. Amazing!!"

Twitter user @OorLorna wrote: "Thank you @Western_Ferries for the fabulous view of the orcas. A once in a lifetime experience."

A third person wrote that she was feeling 'unbelievably lucky right now'.

Twitter/@OorLorna

Pippa Garrard, community engagement manager at Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust (HWDT), said: "These sightings are really rare. To put it into perspective, since HWDT started collating community sightings more than a decade ago, there have been less than a handful of killer whale encounters reported in and around the Clyde."

The pod is reported to have six whales - one bull, one calf and four females. They usually travel in larger groups, with up to 50 or so whales, and aren't usually seen near the UK.

We can only assume these guys were off to go and see the sights of Scotland. Wait until they get all the way there only to find out that they've changed the bloody recipe for Irn-Bru.

Corrine Gordon, from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, pretty much backs up what I said, telling Sky News the animals might have been motivated by 'the weather or food'.

She added: "We had one come into the Clyde couple of years ago. They are not strangers there but it's not common.

"We are expecting them to go back out to sea and then head north."

If you're now feeling super jealous and want to go and see some for yourself, experts say the best place to spot them in the UK is around the Shetland and Orkney islands.

Sources: Sky News; Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@OorLorna

Topics: UK News, Scotland