Cruise passengers spot rare fish during Hebridean trip

The passengers of a cruise received an unexpected visit on Sunday, when an ocean sunfish came close to the boat and “waved them goodbye”.

The rare fish was spotted in the Gairloch area and three more have been spotted since.

Steve Truluck, skipper and guide on board of the Hebridean Whale Cruises, told STV News: “I have been working on board since 2016 and I have only ever spotted one until now.

“Ocean sunfish feed on jellyfish.

“They follow their food in the warmer weather and swim along the surface.

“They are usually really hard to see as the only visible part is the dorsal fin, but in the calm conditions we have had in the past few days you can spot them more easily.

“They usually dive down when boat gets close but this one was the highlight of the trip.

“It jumped out of the water three times and then came close to the boat a few times.”

Steve said that some of the passengers on board had seen whales and dolphins before but never expected to see something quite so different.

“It looks like a dustbin lid.

“I never knew they could propel themselves out the water like that.

“Everyone on the boat was blown away, it was a really unique experience and as it moved away it looked like it waved goodbye”.