Incredible moment humpback whale spotted off Cornwall coast in rare sighting

• Watch the incredible footage of a humpback whale spotted in Falmouth Bay

A humpback whale has been spotted off the Cornish coast in a rare sighting.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust said humpbacks are usually only recorded sporadically during the winter months.

However on 5 June, Linda and Ryan Cassidy were sailing in Falmouth Bay recorded the lucky encounter.

Linda Cassidy, who is a sailing blogger, said: “We were sailing from Plymouth to Falmouth when we witnessed this incredible sight.

"We were approximately 2NM south/southeast of Gull Rock when we noticed some splashes ahead.

"Our first thought was a jet skier - though this did seem unlikely with the current sea state - then we saw the fin and realised we were witnessing a whale in its natural environment!

"It was an incredible sight to witness this beautiful creature and totally unexpected. At best we were hoping to see some dolphins so this was a real treat.

"We are embarking on a two-year sailing adventure around the British Isles and had hoped to maybe catch sight of a whale in the waters around Scotland so to see one this early on and in Cornwall was fantastic - a great experience."

Abby Crosby, marine conservation officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: “This is a very special sighting as humpbacks are usually sighted here in Cornwall only sporadically in the winter months.

"Some people in the world think the tail slapping seen in the video is communication – whales talking to each other.

"It is also thought to help stun prey in the water column or used in dominant behaviour in males.

"Our Seaquest Southwest group at Cornwall Wildlife Trust is cataloguing humpback sightings in southwest waters, so this fantastic sighting will be a great addition to our records.”