Despite holding the accolade as the largest animal ever to live on planet earth and ubiquitously inhabiting the world's major oceans, an acute paucity of information surrounds the geographical distribution and migration phenology of the endangered blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) in the northeast Atlantic. Current migration and distribution information derived from robust scientific studies is required to ensure the formulation and implementation of successful conservation measures with a vision to support the ongoing recovery of the northeast Atlantic population. At 10:21 (UTC) on the 9th of November 2020, two blue whales were observed at position 55°13.99′N, 01°13.62′W, 18 km off the coast of the UK in the central North Sea just north of Newcastle at a water depth of 76 m. This is the first paper that has confirmed an account of live blue whales frequenting shallow waters of the central North Sea and represents a new area of occurrence within the accepted range of the northeast Atlantic population, an area in which sightings are extremely rare and may provide insight into the intricacies of migration routes and behaviour.

On 15 and 17 September 2008 two sightings of blue whales were recorded (with photographic confirmation of species identity) on the continental shelf slopes to the west of Ireland. Blue whale sightings within the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (200 nm limit) are extremely rare with only three reported sightings since the closure of the Irish/Norwegian whaling stations in 1922, none of which were confirmed by photo-identification. These new records are considered to be of two separate animals due to the distances between sightings and fluking behaviour being exhibited by only one of the animals. Evidence suggesting that these animals were feeding was collected during both sightings, with northern krill thought to be the prey species. Photographs taken on 15 September allowed for photo-identification comparison with the North Atlantic blue whale catalogue, however no match was found. Together these sightings may indicate a previously unrecorded feeding area for blue whales in the north-east Atlantic.