A humpback whale has been reported inside Greece’s semi-enclosed Pagasitikos Gulf (near Volos), an unusually close-to-shore location for such a large baleen whale. Observers noted odd swimming that raised concern about possible fishing gear entanglement, and local authorities have asked anyone who spots the animal to report it (and not attempt any approach or assistance themselves).
Separately, a juvenile humpback was filmed near Kalymnos Island in the SE Aegean in early January. While it’s not possible to confirm identity from public reports alone, the timing has prompted speculation that the Aegean sightings could involve the same wandering animal moving through the region.
In UK waters, a walrus sighting on the Fife coast in East Scotland prompted a low-key monitoring response, with rescuers emphasising the importance of giving the animal space so it could rest and move on naturally (which it duly did!)
And off the Netherlands, a beluga whale, far from its Arctic home range, has been lingering along the North Holland coast, drawing both fascination and welfare concerns, with calls for the public to keep their distance and avoid harassment.
Finally researchers have photo-matched a North Atlantic right whale first photographed off Donegal in 2024 to the same individual seen off Massachusetts in November 2025 a striking 3,000-mile transatlantic journey for one of the world’s rarest large whales.
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