Humpback whale makes surprise appearance off Hoek van Holland

A huge humpback whale surprised sailors of the Rotterdam Loodswezen off the coast of Hoek van Holland on New Year's day, RTV Rijnmond reports. The men filmed the experience. The video shows the whale approaching the ship until it is only a few meters away. Eventually it lost interest and swam away. An adult humpback whale can be between 12 and 16 meters long and weigh up to 30 tons. According to urban ecologist Andre de Baerdemaeker, this is the 4th humpback whale seen in Rotterdam waters since January 1900. Sailors also spotted a humpback whale swimming along the Zeeland coast, between Zoutelande and Vlissingen, in December.