East Sussex resident enjoys close encounter with minke whale in Eastbourne

By Sam Pole
Published 11th Apr 2023, 11:00 BST
Updated 11th Apr 2023, 11:01 BST
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Residents from East Sussex enjoyed a close encounter with a minke whale on Saturday (April 8).

Dave Duggan, from St Leonards, and his friend Luke Edir spotted the whale while out at sea fishing off Eastbourne.

Mr Duggan said that the whale was about 25ft (8m) in length and had stayed alongside his boat for about five minutes.

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In a video, posted by Mr Duggan, the whale was seen to have been swimming underneath the boat that he and his friend were fishing on.

Residents from East Sussex enjoyed a close encounter with a minke whale on Saturday (April 8).Residents from East Sussex enjoyed a close encounter with a minke whale on Saturday (April 8).
Residents from East Sussex enjoyed a close encounter with a minke whale on Saturday (April 8).

Minke whales have reportedly only been sighted in the UK just four times in the last 20 years.

Thea Taylor from Sussex Dolphin Project said: "While confirmed sightings of large marine mammals are uncommon, they do travel through Sussex waters.

"We are hopeful that as more people get to see how much life is in our waters, they will be inspired to protect our local marine environment and the amazing creatures that live there."

Related topics:St LeonardsSussex