Two killer whales spotted off the coast of Cornwall
Nature lover Will McEnery-Cartwright managed to photograph the orcas while having a coffee at the Minack Theatre
Last updated 6th May 2021
A nature lover has spotted two killer whales off the coast of west Cornwall.
Will McEnery-Cartwright was having a coffee at the Minack Theatre on Wednesday when the orcas surfaced.
Will managed to grab his camera in time to zoom in and take these incredible photos!
Will shared the pictures on Instagram and his post has already notched up more than 1,000 likes and comments!
"Well today something crazy happened!
"I was taking in the views and drinking coffee at @minacktheatre and I spotted a whale fin in the distance.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I realised it was an orca (killer whale). Wow!
"I showed a staff member called Dave who confirmed it was an orca!
"Looking at all my pictures again and doing some research online, it looks like there might be more than one, possibly John Coe with the distinctive notch on the dorsal fin and a chunk out of the tail fluke".
Will McEnery-Cartwright
Posting on Facebook this morning (Thursday 6th May), Seaquest Southwest confirmed the sightings and identified the pair as being males resident to Scotland.
"Perhaps one of the most exciting marine life sightings in recent years (although to us, EVERY species is wonderful of course!)
"Last night, Seaquest was made aware of potential orca sightings off the Minack in west Cornwall at 4.30pm.
"All Seaquesters were on alert, debating whether this could be a feasible sighting or misidentification of Rissos which happens annually.
"Further investigation confirmed the photos used online were indeed ones taken from the Minack and not only validated the orca sighting, but also identified the individuals involved as John Coe and Aquarius - two male orcas from the long term monitored population of inshore resident orcas off the west coast of Scotland.
"This is a very moving and exciting discovery, as sightings of these animals have gone quiet in recent months.
"Where they have been and where they will go no one truly knows.
"What we do know is they travel long distances in short periods of time so it is unlikely they will still be around even this morning. I'm sure our dedicated Seaquesters will be watching carefully and safely (not causing disturbance) from the cliffs just in case though!"
Seaquest Southwest
Cornwall Wildlife Trust says this may possibly be the first record of the UK's only resident population of orcas travelling this far south in Great Britain.
It occasionally receives reports of orcas in Cornwall but has not been able to confirm many previous sightings due to their similarity to risso's dolphins and a lack of photographic evidence.
Marine Conservation Officer, Abby Crosby, said: "The trust's Seaquest Southwest team were incredibly excited to hear about this orca report, and even more delighted when the photos received then validated the record and identified these rare and beautiful individuals as John Coe and Aquarius. This is the first official orca record in our databases with associated photos in over a decade, and further proof of the value of our coastal seas in supporting these magnificent creatures".
The two orcas form part of the 'West Coast Community', a specialised pod of eight individuals that can be distinguished from other groups of killer whales by their unusual sloping eye patch and larger size.
Although they are regularly monitored, some individuals have not been seen in recent years and there have been no calves observed since monitoring began in the 1990s.
According to the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust's website, the pod faces the risk of extinction as a direct result of human impacts. This includes exposure to high levels of now-banned PCB chemicals which have caused poor health and infertility within the pod.
Abby added: "This pod, and the issues it faces with infertility and future extinction, should be a huge wake up call to the public that we must protect these creatures better in our waters. Now is the time to take action by supporting our 2021 Appeal".
Abby Crosby, Cornwall Wildlife Trust