A breaching humpback whale must be one of the most magnificent sights in the animal kingdom.
A breaching humpback whale must be one of the most magnificent sights in the animal kingdom.
Although the Norfolk Whale has yet to be filmed in such extravagant glory, some of these videos show just how alluring the species can be.
But if you get too close it can be a little scary, and just think yourself lucky a humpback hasn't crashed into YOUR sailing boat.
Our whale is a member of the Atlantic population, one of the four large groups which makes up a global population estimated at 80,000 creatures.
The Norfolk Whale has captured the imagination of our region, with hundreds travelling to the coast in the hope of catching a glimpse of the magnificent creature, and it even has its own Twitter feed.
It is believed the whale has been attracted by increasing supplies of herring, harking back to a traditional Norfolk coastal industry.
As well as its spectacular acrobatics, the species is famous for its complex song, which scientists believe is the same among members of the Atlantic group.
While the typical song many last for 10-20 minutes, it is repeated for hours on end, and changes gradually from year to year.
Why do they sing, and how far does the song travel? Research is ongoing, but scientists believe it may be part of their mating behaviour, and that they communicate over thousands of miles. But with ever more human noise pollution in our seas, the concern is that their breeding may be hampered.
When the Norfolk Whale first appeared, Carl Chapman, Norfolk's cetacean recorder and a co-ordinator for the national Sea Watch Foundation, said it was the first recorded sighting of a humpback off Norfolk.
'It's not a surprise; I predicted this would happen as their numbers increase internationally, but it's certainly a surprise it has happened so soon. I predicted it would happen in the next five years,' he added.
Are you going our whale spotting? Download our guide to humpback whale behaviour, and our handy graphic explaining the key parts of a humpback and key facts, and a stunning image of a humpback breaching in the Atlantic.
See how the story of the Norfolk Whale has developed over the past two weeks:
October 29 - Humpback whale seen off Norfolk coast watched from Winterton, Horsey, and Sea Palling
October 30 - Afternoon update: Humpback whale spotted off east Norfolk coast
October 31 - Could the Norfolk whale make the east coast its home for winter?
November 2 - EDP whale watchers get hump, but no humpback, during search for elusive Scroby Dick
November 4 - Caister fishermen have to share waters with the Norfolk whale
November 5 - Norfolk's humpback whale captured in watercolours by local artist
November 11 - Humpback whale returns to Sea Palling and Waxham
November 14 - Photo Gallery: We searched for the whale but it was the one that got away
Read more about the humpback whale from National Geographic.
Here is what the Wildlife Conservation Society has to say about the humpback whale.
Also worth a read - the website of the International Whaling Commission.
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