The sight of a humpback whale breaching in Falmouth Bay has given hope that that the incredible animal is returning to our waters - despite the sewage.
The spectacular sight was captured on camera by Linda Cassidy and her partner Ryan from Evocean Sailing.

They describe themselves as "two salty souls in search of adventure, freedom and a life of self-sufficiency onboard their sailing yacht".

Posting the video on their Facebook page Linda said they were sailing from Plymouth to Falmouth when they witnessed this "incredible sight". The video was recorded on June 5.

"We were at position 50°09.550N 4°52.400W, approximately 2nm south/south east of Gull Rock when we noticed some splashes ahead," said Linda.

"Our first thought was a jet skier though this did seem unlikely with the current sea state, so we checked our charts and there were no obvious rocks, so that was good!

Falmouth Packet: A still from the videoA still from the video (Image: Evocean Sailing)

"Then we saw the fin and realised we were witnessing a whale in its natural environment! Apologies that the footage is a little bumpy, the sea was fairly rolly and it was so hard to keep the camera still, keep a look out and contain our excitement all at the same time!"

It was later recognised as a humpback whale which can grow up to 18metres long and are rarely seen this far south west and never before at this time of year.

Responding to the post Falmoiuth based AK Wildlife Cruises said it gave them hope that the species was returning to these waters and said it was probably due to the increased levels of oxygen in the water column.

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"This humpback whale sighting gives us so much hope and we will always do our very best to showcase the spectacular wildlife for you all to marvel at and learn about with us!

"There is now a better chance than ever that the humpback whale will still be in our fantastic Falmouth Bay with the best possibility to feed after a longer period of increased swell.

"This is because of the increased levels of oxygen in the water column, which as you can imagine leads to a huge amount of fantastic growth!"

Humpback whale sightings in Cornwall are few and far between, usually only recorded sporadically in the winter months.

In 2023, there have been 29 sightings recorded, but it is likely that there have been around ten separate whales/occasions where a humpback has been passing. 

Abby Crosby, marine conservation officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “This is a very special sighting as humpbacks are usually sighted here in Cornwall only sporadically in the winter months.

"Some people in the world think the tail slapping seen in the video is communication – whales talking to each other. It is also thought to help stun prey in the water column or used in dominant behaviour in males.

Our Seaquest Southwest group at Cornwall Wildlife Trust is cataloguing humpback "sightings in southwest waters, so this fantastic sighting will be a great addition to our records.”

 

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is encouraging members of the public to record marine wildlife sightings with them via its ORKS app or online at www.erccis.org.uk/share-sightings. In UK seas, humpback whales are normally spotted alone or in pairs and are most often seen between the months of December and March according to data from the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS).