Animals
Drone footage captures humpback whale in all its glory
"It is amazing to see Pi back again."
By Athena Stavrou via SWNS
Stunning drone footage shows a humpback whale swimming off British waters.
Gareth Tibbs, 43, an avid drone pilot and wildlife enthusiast, heard about the humpback whale that had returned to the UK last Friday, December 2.
The whale, named Pi, was spotted by Gareth two winters ago, when it reportedly spent around ten weeks around the Isles of Scilly.
The rare sighting was made just 300 meters from the shore of St Mary's Island, where humpback whale sightings have been increasing.
Gareth, a designer by trade, said: "Whilst at home I received a Whatsapp via our wildlife group that there was a whale spotted a few hundred meters away.
"I grabbed my drone and headed to the point and could see it immediately. It was about 300 meters from the shore.
"I called Air Traffic Control to get approval to fly and within a few minutes I was hovering 50 meters over the whale capturing the images.
"It was later identified from its markings that it was 'Pi' the Humpback who spent about 10 weeks around the islands between December 2020 and 2021.
"It is amazing to see Pi back again."