HM Coastguard was called into action after a 25ft humpback whale beached itself at Oban in Scotland, on 28 February. 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.
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,
…said senior coastal operations officer in the area, Adrian Kay.
