NORTHUMBERLAND — Orcas have been sighted more frequently and closer to shore off the Northumberland coast this year and last year compared to previous periods. Researchers are investigating ecological factors that may be contributing to this increase.

Andrew Douglas, owner of Serenity Boat Tours, observed orcas for the first time last year. He and his crew have since spotted multiple pods of orcas. Douglas had only seen orcas once prior to last year, when he was 20 years old. Dolphins have also become more common off the Northumberland coast.

Douglas described his reaction to the sightings, stating, "I was like a little child." He added that the experience brought joy to those aboard his boat. "And I looked around at everybody else, and the smiles are just beaming, and you just think to yourself, that's what it's all about." He also commented on the animals themselves. "The big dorsal fins on the males are just absolutely huge, it just makes you smile, it's really cool."

Douglas attributes the increased marine life to a UK government ban on sandeel fishing, implemented approximately two years ago. "That's the best thing the government's done so far," Douglas said. He noted the immediate impact of the ban, stating, "They banned it about two years ago, and that's made a massive difference straight away." He explained, "Not just from the orcas, but from dolphins and other things, you don't pinch from the bottom of the food chain, you need that bottom of the food chain to get the rest of the stuff working, and it's made a massive difference for the birds as well, so I think that's one of the big things." He added that "things have just started to come back," and attributes the orcas' presence to increased prey. "So you're starting to see a lot more mackerel now, a lot of herring now, so I think these orcas are attracted to all that food." Business at Serenity Boat Tours increased following the orca sightings.

Aaron Fordy, a crewman for Serenity Boat Tours and a native of Seahouses, has seen orcas four times. The Serenity Boat Tours crew has sent videos of the whales to researchers in the Shetlands. Researchers in the Shetlands reported that the Northumberland sightings involve several different pods, not a single returning pod.

Dr. Conor Ryan, an honorary research fellow at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, said there is not a clear explanation for the increase in sightings. He stated that potential factors include improved public awareness leading to more reported sightings, orcas moving closer to shore, or growing populations. "The sandeel fishing ban was a very logical place to look for an explanation," Ryan said. He explained the broader ecological impact, stating, "By removing the bottom of the food chain, what we do is we decrease the biomass of the whole system so there's less energy, less calories available for everybody in the ecosystem, and usually top predators are the ones that really suffer from that." Dr. Ryan also stated that studying whales provides insight into the ecosystem's condition. He noted that orcas in British waters have faced challenges in breeding due to pollution, and the Shetland orca population is nearing extinction.

Julia Sutherland, a researcher at the University of St Andrews, stated that the increase could be a combination of increased presence and a rise in reporting due to social media. She emphasized the limited understanding of these marine mammals in the region. "What we know about killer whales here in the UK is we're lacking so much knowledge in comparison to elsewhere in the world, so it's quite hard to draw really concrete conclusions at this stage." She also indicated that "orca are highly mobile animals." Dr. Luke Rendell, also from the University of St Andrews, stated that the increase in sightings might be due to exploration, expanding knowledge, or a reduction in food resources in their previous habitats.