The wildlife community has been buoyed by the possible sighting of a killer whale off the coast of Brighton.
The discovery is presumed by the Sussex Dolphin Project to be an actual pod of female orca whales, which according to an onlooker was believed to consist of four to six that were heading west towards the city.
The sighting was made in Telscombe at around midday last Thursday and could mean the presence of more such species.
This was then passed on to the local dolphin project, who serve as a charity affiliate of the World Cetacean Alliance, who are noted for aiming to ‘inspire and engage the local community to learn about the incredible marine wildlife off the Sussex coast’.
As a function of research into marine mammals and other aquatic life, records are kept in order to track and report back on any changes in findings or habits that such creatures may present.
There have been Orcas seen within the English Channel before, however the ability to sight them is very rare and uncommon for the United Kingdom.
Experts at the Sussex Dolphin Project have confirmed great intrigue at the apparent sighting with the appearance of cetaceans with large dorsal fins matching the expectations of killer whale sightings.
However, due to the photo quality and the distance from which the photo was taken, it is not possible to be completely sure of the species seen.
Female orca whales match the characteristics of the mammal seen, however white beaked dolphins are often sighted in the waters around Sussex at this time and therefore cannot be ruled out as the actual creature.
Only last month, two killer whales were seen of the coast of Cornwall by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.
These whales are part of a pod of eight who have been regularly monitored living in the surrounding areas since the 1990’s.
Photo Credit: Thomas Lipke
