Beautiful, but sadly the ‘absolute celebrity rock stars and icons of the orca world’ are the last pair of their family
11:55, 02 Apr 2026Updated 14:53, 02 Apr 2026
Orcas spotted in Cornwall
Wildlife lovers have been in for an absolute treat these past few days after two orcas were spotted swimming off Cornwall’s south coast.
For the first time in five years, the two old orca brothers – John Coe and Aquarius – which were part of a pod first identified off Caithness in Scotland, have returned to Cornish waters.
The pair, the last two remaining members of the West Coast orca community, were spotted off The Lizard yesterday (April 1) by wildlife spotters on board the Falmouth-based AK Wildlife Cruise.
Captain Keith Leeves, from AK Wildlife Cruises, posted the video and photos – which you can see above and below – of the orcas on his Facebook page with the message: “What an unforgettable first cruise after our time out of the water.
“It was an incredible honour to see John Coe and Aquarius here in Cornwall. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this remarkable sighting.”
AK Wildlife Cruises added: “To witness them in the wild, moving through our waters. It’s hard to describe just how emotional that felt. A moment none of us on board will ever forget.
“We were overjoyed and emotional as we watched them traveling on their way. Being the first time in 28 years since Keith has been operating these incredible tours that he has had the utter privilege to see these majestic animals just of the coat of our beloved Cornwall, a moment that will truly stay with us forever.
“Experiences like this remind us just how special and unpredictable the ocean truly is.”
In a separate post, Marine Discovery Penzance added: “These two old orca brothers are the last two remaining members of the West Coast orca community. John Coe can be recognised from the deep notch out of the base of his enormous dorsal fin.
“This is not an April Fool. It’s almost exactly five years since they last swam past our coast (that we know about of course), when they were spotted from the Minack. Theirs is a sad story – they’re the last of their family. The others are all gone.”
TV environmentalist Steve Backshall, who is married to Penzance Olympian rower Helen Glover, took to Instagram to post a video showing the two famous orca.
Steve Backshall, filming the orca off the Lizard on April 1, 2026(Image: Steve Backshall / Instragram )
Filming from a boat off the Lizard, a visibly excited Steve said John Coe and Aquarius are the “absolute celebrity rock stars and icons of the orca world and right here on our doorstep”.
He added: “The size of the dorsal fins on these animals is simply immense. It seems that they’re cruising on. Heading west towards Mount’s Bay. Unreal.”
It is believed that between 10 and 14 of these elusive killer whales were once part of the west coast community some 20 years ago.
They were known to inhabit the waters of the Hebrides and had occasionally been reported off Pembrokeshire, but that was the extent of the knowledge.
Research by Andy Foote later found that the west coast community (as he termed them) were a unique and highly vulnerable population.
John Coe and Aquarius, the two brothers orca, spotted swimming off Lizard Point in Cornwall on April 1, 2026 for the first time since 2021(Image: AK Wildlife Cruise)
Dr Foote discovered that the west coast community were unlike any other killer whale group in the north-eastern Atlantic.
About a metre bigger with a distinctive eye patch orientation, their tooth wear was also a distinguishing feature – it is believed these predators hunt exclusively on other cetaceans and so display specific tooth wear which reflects their diet.
Dr Foote also found that they were an isolated ecotype, more closely linked genetically to Antarctic whales than other populations in Scotland.
In 2008, one of the males of the group, thought to be Moon, washed ashore on the Isles of Lewis and in 2016, the last recorded female, Lulu, washed ashore dead on the Isle of Tiree in Scotland.
John Coe and Aquarius are believed to be the last survivors of the original pod, making their appearance in Cornwall so much more special.
John Coe and Aquarius, the two brothers orca, spotted swimming off Lizard Point in Cornwall on April 1, 2026 for the first time since 2021(Image: AK Wildlife Cruise)
Many people who spotted the majestic animals off the Lizard yesterday have shared their experience on social media.
On a Cornwall Wildlife Trust post, Sophie Victoria Manning said: “I had just made it to lizard point yesterday and saw this beautiful sight! It was absolutely incredible.”
Commenting on the Marine Discovery Penzance page, Stephen Phillips said: “Promise it’s not an April Fool. I was lucky enough to be on the boat. Absolutely incredible, I just kept looking at the camera trying to believe it actually happened.”
Helen Chadwick added: “I just watched them for two hours off Lizard Point. They were heading south/southwest when I left and could hardly see them anymore. But they came close enough in to not need binoculars for a good while.”
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