John Coe and Aquarius are believed to be the last two members of the West Coast Community pod, which consisted of 10 orcas in the 1990s. The pair are in their sixties and were last spotted off the west coast of Cornwall in May 2021. Researchers believe the pod's demise can be linked to pollution, preventing the killer whales from reproducing in more than a quarter of a century.
Evidence of pollution's impact comes from a female orca nicknamed Lulu, found dead entangled by fishing lines in the Inner Hebrides in 2016. Tests revealed Lulu's body contained among the highest levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) ever recorded, despite PCBs being banned in the 1970s. The specific pollution sources responsible for these high PCB levels and reproductive issues remain unknown.
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.
Researchers are trying to uncover what happened to the missing orcas from the pod, who have not been spotted for more than nine years. According to Daily Mail - Science & Tech, observer Joe Jones initially believed the orca sighting was an 'April fool's' but later described it as an 'absolute pleasure'. The current total population size of killer whales in UK waters beyond this pod is not confirmed, and it is unclear if any ongoing conservation efforts are in place to protect John Coe and Aquarius.