How to spot 'spectacular' humpback whales off the Cornish coast this winter

The tail of a humpback whale in Mount's Bay, Cornwall.
The tail of a humpback whale in Mount's Bay, Cornwall Credit: Rupert Kirkwood

Winter is well-known as a time of hibernation, when it might be harder than usual to spot wildlife out and about.

Yet it's the only season when one visitor to the Cornish coast can be spotted. It's the humpback whale - and sightings of this huge mammal are increasing every year.

Reaching up to 18m long - that's the size of a bus - humpbacks complete some of the longest migrations of any mammal, with journeys up to 16,000 km recorded.

Their population is believed to be 140,000 worldwide and they live for up to 75 years.

They eat small bait-fish and krill in productive cooler waters and then travel to tropical seas to give birth.

But since 2019, they've been spotted a little closer to home - with sightings at Mount's Bay, the Lizard, St Ives, Sennen and Padstow.

ITV News spoke to Katie Bellman from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust about how the humpbacks' migration habits are changing.

You can tell a humpback by the distinctive white tail fluke and knobbly dorsal fin Credit: Robin Mawer

Why are more humpback whales coming to Cornwall?

Experts believe that the population of whales is showing signs of recovery, since commercial whaling was banned in 1982.

Climate change could also be affecting migration routes, Katie explained.

"It's really changing the range of our marine species. So as we see different species coming into warmer waters, it could be that their food source has moved.

"Big marine mammals will follow the food - it's what they do - so that might be reason why they're coming to hang around Cornwall a little bit more."

Where are the whales migrating to?

Cornwall is on the humpbacks' migration route from Iceland to Cape Verde..

They travel down from the Arctic during winter in the northern hemisphere, to breed in the warmer waters off Africa.

Their food source - fish - is also more abundant near the equator in winter, Katie explained.

"But there's also a lot that we don't know. The oceans are so vast, with so many species of marine life, which is why we're still investigating," she said.

How does Cornwall Wildlife Trust track individual whales?

Scientists use photographs of the humpbacks to record any notches, scrapes, markings, or colourings on their bodies and fins, to help identify individuals year after year.

"If you're lucky enough to see a tail fluke, that's really the best way, because they have dark markings on their tail flukes that are quite easy to identify," Katie said.

One whale, named Pi after the symbol-like scratch under its dorsal fin - has returned to Cornish waters every year since 2019.

"The people who do the identification are amazing. They can tell so much from a blurry mark on a whale's flank, if they know the catalogue really well," Katie added.

You can join a whale-watching group in Cornwall Credit: Wilderness Geographic

How can we spot a humpback whale?

Katie advised joining a group of like-minded people, at one of the wildlife trust's public sea-watching events that happen monthly.

You can also train to be a Seawatch volunteer, with the next training day coming up in March.

But if that's not your bag, head to your nearest clifftop with a pair of binoculars.

"Look out for gannets and diving birds that could be following the whale, look out for the blow - a big spurt of water - and a bit of rolling back.

"If you're really lucky you might see one leap out of the water. The only way to see humpbacks is to look for them, so heading out there and looking out to sea is the best way," said Katie.

Humpbacks have a knobbly dorsal fin Credit: Dan Murphy

What distinguishes a humpback from other whales?

"They have a dorsal fin around two thirds of the way down their back. It's more like a knob, or a stump, than the lovely sweeping fin you see on fin whales and minke whales," Katie said.

Why do people love humpbacks so much?

"I think it's the fact that they just weren't seen in Cornwall until 2019. It's just such a special thing to see.

"If you do get lucky and you see them breach out of the water, it is spectacular to see this massive animal leap up.

"They're just super beautiful whales with their massive pectoral fins and that really distinctive white fluke. I've only seen them a couple of times myself, but I'll remember them," Katie said.

If you are interested in going whale-watching, you can find groups here at Seaquest Southwest.

If you have seen a whale and want to submit a video or photograph, you can do so on the ERCCIS website for submitting sightings.

And there is more information on these amazing creatures available on the humpback blog and podcast.