‘Famous’ sea creatures spotted swimming alongside boat off Ireland, photos show

A famous duo recently made a splash off the coast of Ireland.

The pair — killer whales named John Coe and Aquarius — were spotted near the island’s west coast during a boat tour, according to a May 19 news release from ORCA, a wildlife nonprofit.

The large animals, both male, were seen hunting next to the vessel for about 15 minutes, the group said.

Photos accompanying the release show their distinctive black fins and white-spotted bodies protruding above the waves.

The duo, who are around 60 years old, are believed to be the last surviving members of the West Coast Community of orcas, which lives around Ireland and the U.K.

The community is a unique subspecies or ecotype of orca distinguishable by their “unusual sloping eye patch, larger size and distinctive tooth wear,” according to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, a whale conservation group.

While the community has six other known members, they have not been recorded in recent years and no calves are reported to have been born, suggesting Aquarius and John Coe are the last of their kind.

Given the pair’s age, “it’s always a relief when reports of the pair come through,” according to HWDT.

In recent years, they’ve been spotted a number of times around Ireland, including at least 33 times in 2022.

“Tragically,” when they die, their ecotype will disappear from the area’s waters, the group said.

Numerous orca populations composed of several ecotypes exist worldwide, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Some of them are also at risk of extinction as they are threatened by food shortages, contaminants and vessel strikes.

This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 11:28 AM with the headline "‘Famous’ sea creatures spotted swimming alongside boat off Ireland, photos show."