It blew these Wales-watchers’ minds.
Sightseers were flabbergasted after spotting an extremely rare “lost” whale while exploring the Welsh coastline, as detailed in a Facebook post making waves online.
The party had reportedly been on a SeaMor Dolphin Watching trip off New Quay, Ceredigion, when, all of sudden, they spotted a creature much rarer than a dolphin, the BBC reported.
Accompanying photos, shot from the boat and via drone, show the mystery critter, which has a smooth, rounded back and a large schnoz like an oversized bottle-nose dolphin.
The creature was actually a Sowerby’s beaked whale, a super rare species that generally resides in the North Atlantic Ocean at depths of over 3,280 feet, per the Sea Watch Foundation, a charity that works to conserve marine life.
To date, there have been only “13 confirmed sightings of Sowerby’s whales in the UK since 2007,” Claudia Afeltra, a marine biologist affiliated with the organization, said.
Needless to say, the dolphin oglers were awestruck by the find.
“HOLD THE FRONT PAGE!!!!” wrote SeaMor Dolphin Watching charters on its Facebook page. “NOT JUST A WHALE.. A SOWERBY’S BEAKED WHALE IN NEW QUAY.”
They surmised that the whale, which can reach between 14 and 21 feet in length, had ventured into shallow water after getting lost.
Thankfully, the majestic sea beast “turned and headed back to the deeps on its own accord,” per the post.
“While the sighting has not raised immediate concerns for the whale’s well-being, as it appeared healthy and naturally retreated to deeper waters, we will closely monitor its movements,” added Sea Watch.
The charity believes the sighting is “significant” as it can help shed light on the behavior and distribution of the elusive cetacean.
Sea Watch has since asked the public to report any sightings of the Sowerby’s beaked whale to them.
The Sowerby’s whale is a relative of the Cuvier’s beaked whale, the world’s deepest diving animal, which is capable of venturing 6,561 feet below the surface.
In 2020, one of these living submersibles set a new world record after diving for three hours and 42 minutes without coming up for air.
