Beluga whale spotted off Porvoo after 40 years

A beluga whale was spotted in the sea off Porvoo, southern Finland, on Thursday, Yle reported. The previous known sighting of the species in Finland was recorded in the Bothnian Bay in 1986.

Helsinki nature photographer Pekka Komi saw the whale between Söderskär and Pirttisaari while returning by boat from a bird observatory in Vuosaari with two other birdwatchers.

At first, the group saw something white in front of the boat. Komi said he initially wondered whether it was a wave breaking on a submerged rock or a large piece of plastic. The boat’s navigation equipment showed no rock, and it soon became clear that the object was alive.

The boat’s engine was switched off and it drifted with the wind. Komi photographed the whale when it came within about five metres of the boat.

The group first considered whether the animal might be a porpoise, but concluded that it was a beluga whale. Komi sent the photographs to four experts, all of whom confirmed the species.

Beluga whales normally live in the Arctic Ocean, from where they can migrate into the Baltic Sea.

Komi, who is retired, usually focuses on birds. He described the sighting as overwhelming, although he said he would still rather have seen a rare bird.