Incredible pictures of the moment a humpback whale breached the waters of the Forth have been shared online with the photographer behind them describing his unbelievable luck.
Incredible photos show the moment the whale exited the water in the Forth.(Image: Bruce Meldrum. )
A Fife photographer captured the moment a humpback whale breached in the Firth of Forth.
Bruce Meldrum, 66, from Burnt Island, was in Kinghorn when he spotted the majestic sea creature frolicking in the Forth. The retired Waverley Station Scotrail engineer said he could not believe his luck after he managed to picture the whale.
In photos shared with Edinburgh Live, the humpback can be seen exiting the water before crashing back down below the surface. Arthur Seat and Leith are visible in the background of the snaps which were taken at around 4.10pm on Saturday January 10.
“My reaction was joy as this whale is hard to capture breaching,” he said. “It only breached once and to capture it you require luck.
“Humpback whales can show in the Forth at this time of year and they have been appearing since around 2017. But it is unusual and hard to get breaches.”
Bruce has been photographing wildlife for 40-years and has even travelled to Newfoundland with his wife Ailsa to find dolphins and whales.
“Capturing wildlife is a form of hunting without the violence,” he said. “It can be really exciting.
“I focus on whales and dolphins, travelling to Newfoundland and up to Shetland with my wife who I have nicknamed Whailsa as she is a really good spotter. My advice to anyone is that patience is required to capture images of whales or dolphins – you can be there for long hours.”
Bruce added he believed the humpback was a new visitor to the Forth as his good friend, and admin of the Scottish Humpback Facebook group, Lyndsay McNeil, did not recognise the tail from a catalogue she has created over the years.