It’s been an exciting year for sightings across the west coast of Scotland. It’s been a particularly busy year for sightings of West Coast Community killer whales: John Coe and Aquarius. Between February and October 2022, the famous pair have been reported across a total of 33 days, with sightings ranging from the Hebrides, Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Catching sight of killer whales in the wild is an experience people will never forget; but encountering John Coe and Aquarius is particularly special to so many, as they are believed to be the last remaining members of the West Coast Community.

The West Coast Community of killer whales form a distinct ecotype and are unique among the north eastern Atlantic populations of killer whale. They can be distinguished from other groups seen off Scottish shores by their unusual sloping eye patch, larger size and distinctive tooth wear.

With John Coe thought to be over 60 years old and Aquarius not that much younger, it’s always a relief when reports of the pair come through.

2022 saw many people getting their first ever sighting of this charismatic pair, including several members of the HWDT team, who have shared these memorable moments below.

Caroline Willis

‘Jess and I got the ferry over to Ardnamurchan for our weekly HWDT headland watch, but we had no idea that it was going to be an extra special watch that day. We arrived at the lighthouse and before the kind watcher could even finish saying the word ‘Coe’ we were sprinting to the foghorn!! All of a sudden a dark fin broke the surface of the water and the biggest grin erupted across my face. We spent the next 3 hours watching them swim from left to right, together and about a mile apart…they didn’t know if they were coming or going! More watchers began to arrive with their scopes and lots of lucky visitors got to share our joy (and occasionally squeals!) in watching them. It was an honour to see what we think are the last two remaining killer whales of the West Coast Community and I will never forget it.’

Hannah Lightley

‘This year I have been lucky enough to be one of the Science Officers onboard Silurian – HWDT’s research vessel - this summer season. During my second survey of the season, JC + Aquarius had been spotted and reported via Whale Track in multiple locations across the Hebrides. After 7 days of surveying the west coast, on the morning of our final survey, we were heading back towards Tobermory when we received a call on the radio from a fishing vessel that 2 unidentified killer whales were spotted close to Ardnamurchan peninsula. My heart was absolutely racing as I was on the bow looking out for two huge black dorsal fins. Soon enough Stuart, our skipper, shouted that he spotted two fins 1km ahead!
From that moment onwards everything was a bit of a blur, trying to remain professional went out the window as I was jumping up and down on the foredeck screaming and wafting my hands around unable to contain the excitement of seeing the boys for the first time (there is video evidence somewhere). We stayed with JC + A for around 30mins with the engine off and it was the most incredible experience, with the boys surfacing within 20 meters of the boat at times (I still think this was due to me screaming and thus echolocating at such a high frequency they had to come and investigate!). For many on board, it was also their first time seeing John Coe and Aquarius with gasping, screaming and tears all around! This was a one-in-a-billion-sighting made even more special by leading the science onboard and being surrounded by conservationists who were just as excited! I have been fortunate enough to see the boys twice this season whilst onboard Silurian, each sighting still having the same emotional impact as I realise how lucky I am to see one of the rarest killer whale eco-types in the world.’

Sadie Gorvett

‘John Coe and Aquarius had been spotted for several days. I was seeing the reports rolling in through Whale Track, as I sit behind the computer screen verifying these incredible sightings. So when we heard that the boys could be seen from a headland on Mull, we decided to try our luck at spotting them. Thankfully, we were not alone. A group of local watchers and wildlife enthusiastic had set up scopes, as they watched the pair, probably over 10,000km across the sea towards SW of Muck. Although my first sighting of the boys was a mere speck in a scope, the atmosphere and excitement from everyone present, along with a stunning sunset and our newest whale watcher, Kenny the 5 week old Kitten, having her first sighting being the famous John Coe and Aquarius, it was a pretty special experience.’

PHOTO IDENTIFICATION (PHOTO-ID)

Photo-ID is a tool deployed by researchers, where individuals are identified using photographs. By taking a photo of an animal, we can pin that individual in space and time. This simple technique allows for us to deepen our understanding at both individual and population level. Through Photo ID we can better understand social interactions, individuals age, population size, range and habitat preference over time (if any). HWDT has been collating photographs and sightings of the West Coast Community since 1992.

WHALE TRACK

Whale Track is an innovative citizen science project where anyone can help monitor whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks in Scottish waters. By letting us know what you’ve spotted, you are directly contributing to this growing knowledge base and helping protect these awesome creatures. Whale Track now includes a photo portal, enabling users to upload images and help with Photo-ID analysis.

We want to thank everyone who reported their sightings of John Coe and Aquarius through Whale Track - sighting reports are an essential tool to track their movements and record behaviours, contirubuting to our understanding of these unique individuals. We’d also like to thank the wider Whale Track community, a growing group of people who are deepening our understanding of whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks across Scotland.

Find out more about whale track

Bumper year for John Coe and Aquarius