The sighting of Orca whales and dolphins off the UK coast is giving a huge boost to tourism. Boat tour operators reported the latest sighting of Orcas near the Farne Islands off Northumberland. Killer whales have been seen three times already in 2026
The sighting of Orca whales and dolphins off the UK coast is giving a huge boost to tourism and ‘staycation’ holidays.
Boat tour operators reported the latest sighting of Orcas near the Farne Islands off Northumberland. Killer whales have been seen three times already in 2026, including a sighting this week by boat trips going to the Farne Islands.
Andrew Douglas, 54, from Serenity Farne Island Boat Tours, said it was “wonderful” that the marine mammals appeared on a public holiday, one of the busiest days of the year for the trips. He told how they were being seen with increasing regularity thanks to a ban on fishing for sand eels in the area, providing more food for Orcas, dolphins and porpoise.
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He told the Mirror : “The Government has put a ban on sand eel fishing as the Dutch were coming across in numbers. They taking millions of tonnes a day. But the ban is bringing fish back to the area, so dolphins, Orcas and porpoises are following the food source. “
“That is encouraging them just that little bit more. The waters were littered with birds when I saw the Orcas, so they are clearly feeding there.”
He added that it was the best whale and dolphin watching he had experienced in 30 years’ of working off the North East coast. His boat goes out two or three times a day, seven days a week, depending on the weather.
Last year, scientists identified a school of ‘Geordie’ dolphins off the coast of Northumberland. The experts can listen in to the distinctive whistling sound of the bottlenose population to calculate the numbers in the water. It was previously thought that they were just ‘passing through’ on the way to and from Scotland. But new research of their ‘signature whistles’ suggests they are resident there, rather than a transient population. They have been recorded by microphones which record and detect underwater sound. The hydrophones are anchored along the North east coast off Druridge Bay, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea and St Mary’s Island near Whitley Bay.
Andrew added: “On Monday, the conditions for the Orcas were perfect, on a bank holiday weekend, it could not have been better. It was perfect and is great for tourism. “
The North East Cetacean Project’s coordinator Martin Kitching said it was not clear if it was the same pod which was spotted by fishermen off Beadnell in April, but he thought there might be several groups of killer whales coming to the Northumberland coastal area.
“We think these are probably groups of animals that spend most of their time around Shetland and Orkney, and occasionally Iceland,” he said. “What is clear there is a genuine change in their distribution which is great to see.”
