Last week a rare bird, this week a rare mammal.

A Northern Bottlenose Whale was present at the SECC side of the Squinty Bridge for it's second day.

They are normaly found in waters over 1000 metres deep from the polar ice of the North Atlantic to Long Island Sound and to the Cape Verde Islands.

They feed mainly on squid, sea cucumbers, herring, cuttlefish and sea stars. Their feeding behavior is similar to the Sperm Whale in that they make long, deep dives for up to 70 minutes from 80 - 800 metres on average after which they surface to breathe for about 10 minutes.

Calves are born from April to June following a year long gestation period. Newborn calves measure about 3.5 m in length and are usually chocolate brown in color and nursed by the female for about a year.

See more images on latest images page.

UPDATE - Wednesday 23 September 2009, 1330hrs.

The marine life rescue unit has The Marine Life Rescue Unit have got the whale moving downriver (at the moment 1330hrs, just going past Braehead) so going in the right direction. On the negative side, the marine vet doesn't give good odds for the animal surviving and reaching the open sea.... Will keep you posted if I receive any further news.