Beluga whale filmed swimming in sea off Scottish coast

A beluga whale was filmed swimming in sea off Scottish coast in a rare sighting on Wednesday, 17 January.

It’s only the sixth time that a beluga whale has been spotted in Scottish waters.

The aerial footage shows the incredible white whale swimming off the West Ayre beach in Hillswick in the morning.

Locals took to social media about the mammal, alerting wildlife photographer Richard Shucksmith who captured footage of the whale.

The species is currently on the endangered species list with a population of only 150,000 remaining.

Previous sightings of beluga whales occurred in Unst in 1976, 1997 and 2021, off Hoswick in 1996 and off Fair Isle in 2023.