John Coe and Aquarius were last spotted off the west coast of Cornwall in May 2021. The West Coast Community pod's decline has been stark, with researchers linking its demise to pollution that has prevented reproduction for over 25 years. A female orca nicknamed Lulu from the pod was found dead entangled by fishing lines in the Inner Hebrides in 2016, and her body contained among the highest levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) ever recorded, despite PCBs being banned in the 1970s.
Researchers are trying to uncover what happened to the missing orcas, who have not been spotted for more than nine years. Joe Jones described the sighting as an absolute pleasure, though he initially believed it might be an April fool's, highlighting the rarity of such encounters.
I went to Lizard Point where they passed much closer and gave much better views. I have seen Fin, Minke and Humpback whales over the last few years around the Lizard. But this was by far the best and an absolute pleasure to have seen them.