Killer whale sighting off Cornwall

A passer-by has reported seeing two killer whales off the coast of Padstow in North Cornwall.

Mr Dom Clarke was walking when he saw two of the large predators about 100 metres out to sea.

He described the first as “around six metres long”, with the second much smaller, possibly a calf.

Although public eyewitness accounts of rare animals often prove unreliable, Mr Clarke’s sealife credentials are better than most. By day he runs an outfit called ‘Explore The Shore’, a rock pool exploration business.

Killer whales, also known as Orcas, are infrequent visitors to the UK, although sightings do occur from time to time.

The waters around our western seaboard are some of the most rich in large marine life, with porpoises, dolphins and whales all regularly spotted.

If an Orca appears it should be easy to spot, as they have a very thin, gently curving yet pronounced black dorsal fin on their backs.

Marine life experts believe with warming seas and fish stock depletion, sightings like the Padstow Killer whales will become much more common around the UK.