...By Judah Olanisebee for TDPel Media.
Divers in Kent witness rare encounter with humpback whale A group of divers had an unforgettable experience when they encountered a humpback whale in the English Channel between Dover and Folkestone in Kent.
While returning from a dive exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Kent, the group noticed a massive splash nearby.
As they approached, they saw the massive tail of a humpback whale sticking a few meters up in the air and continuously splashing on the water.
The sea creature then rolled around on the surface and splashed its tail into the water, putting on a mesmerizing display.
According to Thomas Packman, a 26-year-old experienced diver who filmed the encounter, he had never seen anything like it in his 13 years of diving in English waters.
The divers were surprised that the sound of their boat did not scare the whale away, and it even came within touching distance of their boat.
The whale hung around for five to ten minutes, rolling over and splashing its tail on the water.
The group from Mutiny Divers was shocked that they had the opportunity to witness the rare sighting.
The humpback whale is one of the largest species of whales, growing up to 18-meters in length and weighing up to 40 tonnes.
They live for up to 90 years and are found in every ocean in the world.
While sightings of humpback whales are not uncommon, they are rare in the English Channel.
The last sighting was by a marine survey team in 2015.
Other whale breeds are more commonly sighted in the waters off the Kent coast, including Benny the Beluga, who became a local celebrity as he splashed near Gravesend in 2018.
Packman speculates that the whale was communicating with other whales by slamming its tail on the surface of the water.
The sound travels long distances, and it could be a way of communicating over long distances.
He also dismissed the possibility that the whale was stuck in a net, and it was doing it as a sign of aggression.
The group was thrilled to have witnessed such a rare and memorable experience, which even seasoned divers may never encounter in their lifetime.
