Two humpback whales were spotted swimming off the Dutch coast on Thursday afternoon. The first was seen off the coast of Scheveningen, and a second animal was spotted off the coast near Bergen aan Zee, SOS Dolfijn reports.
An adult humpback can grow up to 18 meters tall. The animals are adventurous and can manage well in shallow waters, such as those on the Dutch coast. According to SOS Dolfijn, there is therefore no reason to worry that the two whales are in trouble.
A humpback whale was spotted around 2 kilometers off the coast of Scheveningen on Tuesday. This whale has been seen off the Dutch coast multiple times over the past two months, NU.nl reports.
The whale, affectionately called Jojo, often breaks the surface and regularly sprays water into the air.
The humpback was first spotted off the coast of Texel on October 14th. In the following weeks, the animal was seen multiple times, including near Scheveningen and Egmond aan Zee.
The sperm whale spotted off the coast of Den Helder on Monday morning, died a natural death in the same area on Tuesday evening, SOS Dolfijn said on Twitter.
A sperm whale was spotted in the North Sea, just off the coast of Den Helder on Monday morning. By Monday evening the whale was still in the same area. According to SOS Dolfijn, the animal is likely disoriented or sick and weakened, the rescue organization said on its website.
The whale was first spotted by crew members of a ship off the coast near Julianadorp around 7:30 a.m. The Coast Guard took a photo and sent it to SOS Dolfijn, who identified it as a sperm whale.
A bowhead whale was spotted swimming off the coast of Vlissingen, the first ever confirmed sighting of such an animal in Dutch waters, according to SOS Dolfijn. The whale was first spotted on Monday night, swimming close enough to the beach that it was visible from the promenade, NU.nl reports.
SOS Dolfijn and the first aid organization for marine animals EHBZ will keep an eye on the whale as much as possible in the coming days. Both organizations advise the public to stay away from the animal.
A humpback whale was spotted swimming in the naval port of Den Helder on Monday, SOS Dolfijn said on Twitter. "The animal shows normal behavior, so leave it alone for now is the current advice", the sanctuary for whales in the North Sea said.
SOS Dolfijn expects that the whale will leave the harbor by itself.
A dead porpoise was found in the Nauernasche Vaart in Krommenie, Noord-Holland on Sunday. Foundation SOS Dolfijn believes that it is the same animal spotted in the Noord-Holland canals for the first time two weeks ago
The Public Prosecutor gave six young men believed to be responsible for severely abusing a porpoise three months probation. They must also follow a mandatory course to learn about porpoises and donate money to a dolphin foundation, the prosecutor announced on Friday.
A large whale was spotted swimming at the height of Zeeland bridge in Oosterschelde estuary on Saturday. Experts say it is probably a humpback whale.
