Minke whale named Snowy sets record for European sightings with nearly 30 years of Hebridean visits

A minke whale has set the European record for the number of years she has been spotted.

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) revealed that the whale, nicknamed Snowy, has been visiting Scotland’s Hebridean islands for 27 years.

HWDT said that Snowy had the longest-known history of sightings for the species in all of Europe.

Snowy got her name from the white spot on her dorsal fin that makes her easy to identify.

A whale known as Knobble holds the title for the most frequently recorded minke whale in the Hebrides, having been spotted more than 60 times since 2002, mostly in waters around the Isle of Mull.

Most UK minke whale sightings are made in Scotland as they migrate to western Scotland’s seas every summer to feed in the rich waters.

HWDT works to monitor whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks off the Scottish west coast.

The trust has now published a digital catalogue of sightings which includes pictures from the last 30 years.

HWDT said the record showed that more than 300 individual minke whales have been identified in the Hebrides since 1990.

The trust hopes its catalogue will help strengthen international understanding of whale movements through collaboration with researchers in other countries, and contribute to wide-scale conservation action to protect these animals throughout their range.