Killer whales spotted near Cornwall coast in rare UK sighting
Sighting of two of UK’s resident orcas is ‘proof of the value of our coastal seas’, says expert
Aquarius, one of two killer whales spotted off the Cornish coast. Photograph: Will McEnery/Cornwall Wildlife Trust/PA
Aquarius, one of two killer whales spotted off the Cornish coast. Photograph: Will McEnery/Cornwall Wildlife Trust/PA
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Thu 6 May 2021 11.17 EDT
Last modified on Thu 6 May 2021 14.25 EDT
Two killer whales have been spotted off the Cornish coast.
Experts believe this is the first sighting of the UK’s only resident population of killer whales travelling this far south.
BBC News
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image captionThe killer whale known as Aquarius was spotted off the west coast of Cornwall
The most southerly sighting of the UK s only resident family of killer whales has been made, experts believe.
The two whales were spotted off the west coast of Cornwall on Wednesday in the first confirmed sighting in over a decade, Cornwall Wildlife Trust said.
Killer whales are the largest member of the dolphin family.
Marine conservation officer Abby Crosby said the rare and beautiful creatures, also known as orcas, were identified through photographs.
image copyrightWill McEnery
image captionJohn Coe is another member of the Scottish West Coast Community pod of eight orcas
One of two killer whales that have been spotted off the Cornish coast.
Two killer whales have been spotted off the Cornish coast in a rare sighting of the UK’s only resident Orca population.
Experts believe this is the first record of the pod of Orcas – the largest member of the dolphin family – travelling this far south.
The group is made up of four males and four females and normally resides in the Hebrides in Scotland.
They were spotted on Wednesday by members of Cornwall Wildlife Trust off the west coast, near the Minack Theatre.
The pair, named John Coe and Aquarius, were identified by the shape and notches of their dorsal fins and patches of colouration near their eyes and on their backs.
Killer whales seen swimming off Cornish coast for first time in over 10 years
The incredible sea creatures were spotted and photographed by members of Cornwall Wildlife Trust off the west coast, near the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno on Wednesday, May 5
17:06, 6 MAY 2021
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