UK Nature and Environment

In a remarkable first for Cornish waters, two orcas from the Iberian population were spotted near the Isles of Scilly, confirming their northernmost sighting to date. The rare encounter was made by skipper Joe Pender during a seabird survey near St Agnes earlier this month.

The orcas, later identified as members of the elusive Iberian C pod, were seen near Pol Bank southwest of Bishop Rock. Pender, who operates Scilly Pelagics tours, initially noticed unusually large dorsal fins before realising he was looking at orcas - not common dolphins. "Everyone on board was ecstatic," he said. "I've only seen one before, about 25 years ago."

Rebecca Allen of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust confirmed it was the first recorded sighting of Iberian orcas in the region. These orcas typically inhabit the Straits of Gibraltar during winter, making their presence in Cornwall highly unusual.