Mediterranean Gray whale sighted off Barcelona

This is the first time that a gray whale has been sighted in the western basin of the Mediterranean Sea

Gray whale has travelled 2000 miles in 23 days across the Mediterranean

June 2010. Last month, a gray whale was photographed in the eastern Mediterranean (the first recording of this species in the eastern Atlantic in some 500 years), and probably represented an animal from the eastern Pacific stock which got lost and ended up in the Atlantic.

The gray whale we reported on three weeks ago off the Israeli coast has now been re-sighted off the eastern Spanish coast.

Sighted off Barcelona
"On 30th May 2010, at 16:30h an unusual sighting of a gray whale off the Barcelona harbour (41º20'79'' N Long 2º11'72''E ) was confirmed. The whale was consistently heading south at slow pace. The sighting was confirmed by members of SUBMON, an NGO dedicated to develop studies related to the conservation and assessment of marine habitats. Pictures from this sighting were taken by Manuel Castellote at the National Marine Mammal Lab, and when compared by the ones taken by Aviad Scheinin from IMMRAC on May 8th 2010 in Israeli waters it was confirmed to be the same individual whale, proving that he had travelled from Israel to Spain in 23 days, a distance of almost 2,000 miles, or almost 85 miles per day.

Experts believe that it may well move out of the Mediterranean and head north through coastal waters of western Spain and Portugal and possibly as far north as France, Ireland, the UK, or even the North Sea over the next month or so.

Please report any sighting
The IWDG would be very grateful if anyone doing cetacean surveys over this summer keeps a special eye out for a medium sized whale, lacking a dorsal fin and with a mottled grey skin colour. It is likely to lift its tail into the air on diving."

Photographs of the underside of the tail as it dives would be required to show that it is the same individual as seen in the Mediterranean. If there are any possible sightings, please take a photograph and do let the IWDG know as soon as possible of any encounters you may have with this animal.

Courtesy of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group