Number of whale sightings 'gone through the roof'

A wildlife charity has said the number of whale sightings off the Cornish coast has "gone through the roof" in the last few years.

Bex Allen from Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said monthly surveys show an increased number of humpback whales which she called "one of the greatest recovery stories".

Whaling had reduced the humpback population to less than 5% of its original size, she said, but since the species had been protected since the 1960s, numbers have increased.

On Thursday a humpback whale was spotted in St Ives Bay and another was seen off Newquay by Angie Nash, a wildlife enthusiast who had taken her 50th birthday week off work to watch nature.

Ms Allen said she thinks humpback whales "have really captured the hearts and minds" of people around Cornwall.

The marine conservation officer said: "Humpbacks are a bit new to our area and they're really charismatic whales.

"They do tend to put on a display, sometimes by breaching out of the water and they fluke, so they put their tail flukes out of the water and up in the air when they deep dive.

"They're one of those whales that everyone wants to see."

She said experts were unsure why there had been more sightings of humpbacks but it could be because they were feeding before they finished their winter migration to tropical waters.

Ms Nash, who divides her time between Newquay and Looe, said she was delighted with her birthday surprise.

She said she had spent six to seven hours a day during the week looking across Watergate Bay and on her birthday she had been gifted the sight of a humpback.

"I've finally seen it" she said.

Ms Allen said minke whales and fin whales "make regular appearances" and were the two most common great whales in Cornish waters.

Sperm whales and bowhead whales had also been seen off the Cornish coast, she added.

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