Photo: Isaac Ogden
There have been the first ever sighting of orcas originating from Iberia off the coast of Cornwall.
The sighting come in a current trend that has seen humpbacks, fin whale and blue fin tuna travelling north to the south west and beyond following bait fish.
Joe Pender saw the orcas off St Agnes, the Isles of Scilly on Wednesday evening.
Joe Pender, skipper of the Scilly Pelagics told the BBC, “I’ve seen an orca very distantly some 25 years ago and that’s the only one I’ve ever seen. They’re really rare, it’s one thing we really didn’t expect to see here.”
Ms Allen said the Environmental Records Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly had recorded “so many changes in the type of species we see. We’re seeing more tuna, common dolphin, humpback whales and there’s been a big boom in the octopus population. This year seems to have been a notable year for lots of different species and it really feels there’s been a change that’s driving this.
We don’t understand what this might be but it’s probably linked to warming seas and pushing populations of species further north. As much as it’s really exciting, it’s a little bit of a concern”
Last year Ocearch the shark tracking researches were looking for great whites that they feel will be migrating northwards, but failed to find any.
Large tuna tagging projects have also taken place as the population return after a 70 year absence. A marine heatwave has also been taking place over the last three months with above average maximum temperatures being recorded.
Interesting times!
