Whales in Cornwall

Our most prominent whale in our waters has to be the minke whale, the UK’s smallest baleen whale. We often see visits from fin whales, sei whales, humpback whales and have even recorded long-finned pilot whales off the North Coast too! You never know what might occur in our waters.

You can see whales almost anywhere from the coast in Cornwall, from land or sea! Flat conditions favour sightings of our finned friends, but that doesnt mean to say you won’t see anything on choppy days either.

The best time of year can vary, as we have witnessed recently in particular, whales can be seen at almost any time of the year. However, April through September is often some of the best times to see them. They will mainly be seen when feeding on plankton, krill and small fish, where deep waters occur close to the coast.

UK Whales and in fact all whales species are considered not dangerous. That doesn’t mean to say you can just hop in for a swim with them, however. But from the safety of our rib and the gentle nature of almost all whale species you are not in any form of danger from these magnificent creatures.

This will usually be when feeding, Whales often feed on plankton, krill or smaller fish. You may see lunge feeding from most species of whales that occur around our coasts. Within the peak seasons of April/May – September you will also have more chance of spotting a whale. However, you do need the correct conditions to be on your side so, flat, calm conditions and next to no wind, you might spot a whale from our very own Cornwall!