For the first time since 2017, a humpback whale has been photographed off the coast of the Isle of Man, just half a mile from the shore between Peel and Niarbyl.

Ben and Katie Hellowell first saw the animal leap vertically out of the water facing towards them, seeing the entire body, head, and flippers with only its tail remaining under the water.

They turned off their boat engines and further spotted the whale surface a few times as it headed south along the coast.

Humpback whales get their name from the small knobbly dorsal fin and ridges that run from the dorsal fin to the tail fluke.

Humpback whales, known for their long migrations, spend summer months feeding in cold, rich waters near the poles, with the feeding grounds including Iceland, Greenland and Maine (USA).

Then, each winter they travel thousands of miles to mate and calve in warmer waters near the equator. This is one of the longest known animal migrations on earth.

Where it is uncommon to find humpback whales in Manx waters, there have been sightings.

The last humpback whale confirmed in Manx waters was in 2017 and prior to that there were sightings in 2013 and 2010.

Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch said: ‘Humpback whales do occasionally get spotted off Wales and the Hebrides, or it could have ventured around from Irish waters.

‘They are more regularly seen in the deeper waters of Ireland’s Atlantic coast.

‘The whale most likely ended up here by complete chance, or it may have followed some food to the area.

‘The whale may have been feeding. In the Irish Sea they would be eating small shoaling fish such as herring and mackerel.

‘This summer has seen an increase in early season minke whales to the south and west of the island so there must be a lot of food to be had at the moment.

‘Any sighting of a whale, dolphin, porpoise or basking shark in Manx waters should be reported to www.mwdw.net to contribute to our ongoing monitoring and conservation efforts.’