A wildlife cruise worker has shared the incredible moment she was able to get up and close and personal with a pod of humpback whales.
Rosie Barrett, 25, who is originally from Benfleet in Essex but is currently based in Gairloch, was even more excited by the fact the sighting came exactly two years after her very first one of these wonderful creatures.
"This particular encounter was special as it came exactly two years after seeing my first Humpback whales," Rosie explained. "Humpbacks are my absolute favourites and so to see them in the wild in UK waters is just something I am so humbled and delighted to see."
Rosie, who works for Hebridean Whale Cruises, said she was out with a group on August 12 just off the coast of Lewis when the magical encounter occurred.
She added: "Humpbacks are definitely not a common occurrence here in the UK, they are around but it does require a lot of luck to come across them. Luckily, I was with the very talented and knowledgable skipper Steve Truluck, and we had a fantastic land-based watcher Steve Dodd to tell us about the Humpbacks in the area."
Rosie, who has been doing these cruises since May this year after her chance to work with the crew was delayed by the pandemic, was delighted to not only share the magical experience with her group but also share it online.
"Seeing other people's happiness and excitement when you see something as special as a Humpback whale is something that will stay with you forever," she explained. "And I certainly was very emotional myself as I feel so lucky to be in an opportunity where I can see these fantastic animals.
"One thing that is great about working with Hebridean Whale Cruises is that we are all so passionate, enthusiastic and excitable when we get to see these things. Even on the days that we can't get out due to bad weather, you will still find us travelling around trying to find cetaceans from land."
The passionate wildlife lover joked that people online not only seem to enjoy her videos of the animals themselves but also the emotional reaction on her own face.
She said: "People seem to enjoy my crying face on my social media pages when I get to see these incredible wildlife sights. My TikTok on Orca last month went viral because of this."
A keen wildlife photographer and filmmaker herself, Rosie loves to share her adventures with people online and has had many of her images and films shared on news sites across the world, she was also shortlisted for Rising Star in the Natural History Museum Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition this year.
Rosie added: "Working for Hebridean Whale Cruises has allowed me to work closely with some spectacular wildlife and I am so grateful to be able to see all sorts of whale and dolphin species - not to mention all the other array of amazing wildlife here! I love nothing more than to be out in wildlife and get to share, inspire and educate others about all the wonderful wildlife on our planet."
You can follow her and find her work on Instagram, TikTok and Youtube.
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