Moment 50 foot humpback whale is spotted in Falmouth Bay

Watch: The humpback whale just two miles offshore (Credit: Andrew Robinson)

A fisherman has captured the incredible moment he spotted a 50 foot humpback whale off the Cornish coastline.

Andrew Robinson filmed the unique footage while out on the water in Falmouth Bay last Wednesday (15 December).

AK Wildlife Cruises Falmouth posted the video on Facebook this morning (22 December) and said the whale seemed to be performing a mating ritual.

"The whale was estimated to be about 40-50 feet in length as a full grown adult humpback, and can be seen repeatedly pec slapping in this video", a spokesperson said.

"This behaviour is believed to be used to attract mates, and Andrew may have seen another blow from a whale in the distance so there could have been another out there.

Josh Wilson, a guide and crew member at AK Wildlife Cruises Falmouth, said that sightings of humpbacks are becoming more common with typically five to ten sightings in Cornwall between the months of December and January each year.

He said: “They're the best whale species to watch because they’re very active.

“Down at Land's End near Porthcurno sometimes you can see them from the land. They’re not a species really shy of coming close to land. They’ve been seen up the Fal River.”

“While it is still extremely rare, sightings are on the rise probably because whaling stopped in the 80s so the whole Atlantic whale population has been recovering."

Josh said it is more common to find humpbacks so close to the surface of the water during the winter months while they feed and socialise.

“There are probably more whales a lot deeper too,” he added.