“They both prefer offshore deeper waters, so it’s quite unusual to spot them close to land,” said Mx Cowen who uses “they” and “them” as personal pronouns.
“Both species [are] rare to spot in general around the UK, but especially so around Scilly.”
The most common place for sightings was St Martin’s with a number of humpbacks spotted there.
Mx Cowen said whales normally head to warmer water nearer the equator between late May and October to breed before returning to colder seas and oceans to feed their calves, with some species having a migration range of 6,000 miles (9,656km).
The trust’s fundraising and comms officer said while whale sightings were common around the islands at this time of year, it was something the trust enjoyed looking out for.
“Every single year I am on the edge of my seat waiting for that first sighting of whales,” they added.
