While the summer maybe in its last hurrah and the rush of holidaymakers is winding down, there are still some spectacular visitors to the county’s waters.
One lucky boatload of wildlife watchers out for a trip with AK Wildlife cruises got a treat last week, thanks to a close encounter with a minke whale.
Amanda Watson from AK said: “The minke whale came up right next to the boat the first time, then shortly after just a little way off from Free Spirit.
“We had five children on board that day and all were delighted to see this huge animal, it was about 23ft long, feeding with porpoise out from Falmouth.
The minke whales are the second smallest baleen whale and breathe three to five times at short intervals before deep-diving for two to 20 minutes, preceded by a pronounced arching of the back.
The maximum swimming speed of minke whales has been estimated at 38 km/h (24 mph).
Minke whales typically live for 30 to 50 years and range across the North Atlantic. They are listed as having a swimming speed of an estimated 24mph.
The common minke whale is considered of ‘least concern’ in regards to population numbers.
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