Huge humpback whale spotted off Cornwall coast

  • Watch Louisa Britton's report

A lucky fisherman who was out on his boat ended up experiencing an amazing encounter today - with a humpback whale.

James was fishing for mackerel off the coast of St Ives when he was instead greeted by a much larger sea creature.

He was quick to document the incredible moment, managing to capture it on video. A huge black mass appears just metres away from James' boat.

He said: "I was going across the bay mackerelling, next thing you know I just see this splash come out of the water and I didn't know what it was - I thought it might be dolphins or something.

James, the fisherman who encountered the whale

"Next thing you know it comes back out of the water again and starts coming towards us and then goes around the back of the boat. It was incredible."

James has been fishing since he was 15 years old - never has he seen anything like this size.

And since posting the video, wildlife fans have been out with their cameras trying to get their shot.

  • Drone footage by Luke Austin

Not only have they managed to catch a glimpse of the whale, around 300 dolphins made an appearance too.

Humpback whales have been spotted this year off the Isles of Scilly, Porthcurno, and off Mounts Bay.

While wildlife experts try to work out if they’ve seen this humpback before, James is just hoping it doesn’t eat all his catch.