Humpback whale spotted off Margate coast today

Today 26th February 2025 it has been reported a humpback whale has been spotted off Margate coast:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Cyc4sowvX/

The Guardian has highlighted the increasing numbers passing through in this article:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/18/humpback-whale-sightings-kent-isles-of-scilly

“The humpbacks’ appearance off the Kent coast is also raising fears about the impact of new subsea electricity cables for new offshore windfarms on marine mammals.

Emma Waller, planning and policy officer for Kent Wildlife Trust, said that National Grid’s Sea Link project, which plans to install an underwater cable between Kent and Suffolk, had not undertaken enough research on its impact on whales, seals and other marine mammals and its landfall at Pegwell Bay could disrupt marine ecosystems.

“The sightings underline the need for these large offshore projects like Sea Link to fully consider their impacts on marine mammals,” said Waller. “Their current approach lacks adequate mitigation for marine mammals. Renewable energy is vital, but it must not come at the expense of wildlife when alternative options are available.

“There needs to be a review of the standards of ecological surveys for such projects – we need to understand what these impacts and implications are going to be.”