Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae
Suffolk Priority Species
The Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a rare but increasingly recorded visitor to British waters, its dramatic breaching behaviour and complex song making it one of the world’s most celebrated cetaceans. Historically hunted to the brink of extinction, North Atlantic populations have shown partial recovery since international whaling protections came into force. Records off the Suffolk coast and wider North Sea remain occasional, typically involving single animals in offshore or near-coastal waters. Any confirmed sighting or stranding in Suffolk waters is of considerable note and should be reported to the national Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme. Image: © Natural England/Rebecca Walker, Flickr.
Find out more: Whale and Dolphin Conservation, The Mammal Society, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, iNaturalist
Suffolk’s Priority Mammal Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
