Blog post by Lucy McRobert, a wildlife storyteller and lover of these islands

When the news broke on Christmas Eve that a whale had been spotted between St Mary’s and Tresco, no one could quite believe it. Cetaceans are common around the Isles of Scilly, but sightings between the islands are rare – let alone a big whale species. My husband, daughter and I were on Tresco at the time, awaiting MV Meridian to take us home. From Carn Near, we began scanning the sea. Messages and calls were flying around – a humpback whale? Could it be?

We spotted a Tresco jetboat drifting out towards Samson. Suddenly a huge, bushy, balloon-shaped blow erupted just off the stern, followed by the dark, knobbly back and bump of a dorsal fin. I yanked up my binoculars in time to see the fluke rise gracefully out of the water. I remember my heart pounding, shouting and feeling a lump in my throat. I’ve seen a humpback whales off Devon and off Massachusetts, USA; they have been reported infrequently in recent years off Scilly, but I never expected this.

Photo credit: Joe Pender of St. Mary's

As Meridian pulled in, skipper Paul Osborne shouted that we were going to check it out. Over the next hour, with the sun setting, we were treated to sensational views.

Across the Christmas period we continued to see the whale feeding inshore. Everyone was talking about 'our whale'. We suspected that there might be two animals, perhaps a mother and a calf. They were seen close together several times, with the much shyer, smaller animal only showing occasionally. This matches the behaviour of a pair of humpbacks seen off Slapton Sands in Devon in February 2017. Luckily, our shallow waters aren’t too challenging, and they followed the same routine for a couple of weeks, sticking south of St Mary’s in the morning, then up through St Mary’s Sound past Gugh, and ending the day between Annet, Samson and the Garrison. One is still being reported every couple of days in St Mary’s Sound.

Photo credit: Samaya of St. Mary's

The animals are on migration south to warmer waters. Whilst local fishermen have reported humpbacks for decades, sightings are uncommon. Hopefully this will become a regular occurrence as humpback numbers are recovering after centuries of hunting. Thanks to photographs of the fluke taken by Martin Goodey, 'our' whale was identified as an animal seen off Mount's Bay, Cornwall last year, nicknamed 'Pi'. We witnessed interesting behaviours, too, including fin slapping and breaching – signs playfulness, communication with other whales and perhaps removing parasites.  

In addition to ‘our’ humpbacks, New Year brought an even bigger treat, with fin whales cruising past the islands to the north and south. More humpbacks were seen further offshore, with sightings from West Cornwall numbering three or four animals, too! There were big pods of common dolphins, porpoises, bluefin tuna and feeding frenzies of gannets, kittiwakes, and other seabirds, including the occasional great skua. Clearly, there was a lot of food around.

Photo credit: Samaya of St. Mary's

With so many sightings coming from different corners of the archipelago, it’s impossible to say exactly how many whales were in the area at the time. Looking at the reports, I suspect that over New Year around four or five humpback whales were spotted, plus four fin whales. Hopefully this is a sign that the seas around this special part of the world are thriving and that our ocean giants are recovering. Thank you to the boat services for putting on trips before lockdown and to all observers for treating the animals with respect and caution.

Lucy McRobert is a wildlife storyteller, nature writer and the voluntary Promotions and Publicity Officer for the Isles of Scilly Bird Group, which champions birds, wildlife and birdwatching on the Isles of Scilly. We aim to inspire more people of all ages to enjoy our stunning wildlife and share their sightings and experiences, and to help local wildlife by working with local partners.