Happy ending for the whale which came to shore in Oban
HM
Coastguard was called into action after a 25ft humpback whale beached itself
at Oban in Scotland earlier today (28 Feb).
A
multi-agency response was called for with Oban, Appin and Inveraray Coastguard
Rescue Teams all sent along with Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire &
Rescue Service. The British Diver Marine Life Rescue also attended to help the
whale and Oban RNLI lifeboat was on scene to prevent the whale from returning
to shallow water.
The
creature beached itself just outside the Scottish Association for Marine
Science who managed to get some great pictures of it.
Senior
coastal operations officer in the area Adrian Kay said: ‘It was just a few feet
from the shore and it managed to turn itself and get back out into deeper
water. It was amazing to see such a beautiful creature at such close quarters.
We knew there would be a lot of public interest in the incident and as
Coastguards we were there to help manage the situation, protecting the whale
from too much noise, providing safety cover for the whale rescue team and
keeping the public safe without spoiling their chance to see it.’
All pictures copyright: SAMS
All pictures copyright: SAMS