From porpoises to fin whales, experience the magnificence of the natural world with AK Wildlife Cruises.
With an increase in the number of marine wildlife species paying a visit to Falmouth Bay over the last year, it is an exciting but crucial time to better understand the animals that occupy our waters. AK Wildlife Cruises are working to support this, while connecting the community to the marine environment in order to raise awareness.
We were delighted to pay a visit to the AK Wildlife Cruises boat, docked at Falmouth Premier Marina, to chat to Captain Keith, as well as office manager Elsa Llewellyn and crew member Emily Forster, about their work in Falmouth’s waters.
With Captain Keith at the helm, every member of the crew is passionate about marine conservation, with the wellbeing of the animals seen during trips at the heart of everything.
It was Captain Keith who, on moving to Cornwall 26 years ago, wanted to set up dedicated wildlife cruises for both locals and visitors to the area and, almost 30 years on, the team is doing vital work to raise awareness of and protect the wildlife in Falmouth’s waters for the generations to come.
“It’s about Cornwall and promoting the amazing diversity of wildlife during the full 12 months of the year. We are responsible for gathering data, as well as monitoring the wildlife, tides and weather in the area, so we can build a catalogue for the future generations and protect what we have here in Falmouth Bay.”
Alongside its work with other operators, conservation groups and organisations such as the Sea Watch Foundation, AK Wildlife Cruises is ‘Wise Master’ accredited, which supports the business and others like it to navigate eco tourism responsibly. Captain Keith added: “It’s vital that we don’t disturb the wildlife. We were the first commercial cruise to sign up, endorse and give recommendations to Wise Master.”
In fact, Captain Keith and his team have worked with such organisations to see the introduction of 27 Marine Conservation Zones around the British Isles, and the very first to be established was right here in Falmouth.
“There are many people trying to protect the area, gathering data and hard facts to put conservation at the heart of everything. We’re only custodians, and have a responsibility to pass it on better than we found it,” he added.
Due to fishing pressures, species like mackerel have been overexploited, which means numbers in the Falmouth area have dwindled. However, Captain Keith says the return of pilchard and herring is most welcome, although they too will face the same fate if overexploited like mackerel and other species.
Higher numbers of fish means the sighting of different species of whales is more likely. In fact, there has been an increase in the number of humpback whales visiting Falmouth Bay, which come in through the estuary and have been spotted off Pendennis Point and St Mawes.
“We need to do more, because they (the whales) will come,” Captain Keith continued. “It would be great if Falmouth could become internationally known for it. We have five wildlife cruise operators in the area: Falmouth, Penzance, Newquay, Padstow and Plymouth. There’s times here when it’s better than David Attenborough’s Blue Planet!”
AK Wildlife Cruises recorded 44 fin whales - the second largest whale on the planet - having visited Falmouth in August 2023 alone. Amongst them were mothers with calves, adults gathering in pairs to lunge-feed, and some of the biggest shoals of herring and pilchard spotted in Falmouth on record. Most of these sightings have been experienced just a couple of miles out of the bay.
For the team, the job doesn’t stop. It’s seven days a week in all weathers, all year round, with many team members studying degrees at university when they’re not busy photographing or recording marine wildlife on the AK Wildlife Cruises vessel, including crew member Emily Forster, who is in her final year studying marine and natural history photography. Students are given the opportunity
to work as crew, many of whom are now working for the BBC’s wildlife department and other prestigious organisations.
But Captain Keith says: “Everyone has realised how important wildlife is to the soul, particularly once the world seemed to stop during the pandemic. Our tours are a real tonic to people; we get a lot of emotion, from tears of joy to children breaking into song when they see a magnificent animal like a whale.
“It really is more than just seeing dolphins. I get excited seeing all that nature has to offer, from a bumblebee at the first signs of spring, to a whale feeding in the water. My reward is seeing the joy, pleasure and euphoria it can provoke in people.”
Every trip is different, but the team believes there’s a 75% chance of seeing a porpoise, dolphin or whale. However, it is a data and scientifically-driven experience, not just commercial, as ‘the wildlife comes first’.
Use promo code LOCAL10 to get 10% off your next trip! For more information about AK Wildlife Cruises, and to book a trip, visit www.akwildlifecruises.co.uk
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