Humpback whale breaches off Isles of Scilly

The whale is thought to have been attracted to the area by large shoals of sardines

A humpback whale has been pictured feeding off the Isles of Scilly.

Skipper Joe Pender grabbed the shots of the whale breaching and swallowing fish near Bishop's Rock lighthouse on Sunday.

He said the whale was accompanied by dolphins and seabirds in a "massive feeding frenzy" that delighted tourists on his sightseeing boat.

"I've never seen anything like it round here," said Mr Pender.

Skipper Joe Pender said the humpback whale was among many other creatures spotted

The St Mary's-based wildlife photographer was on one of his regular sightseeing trips on Sunday.

He said there was "a massive feeding frenzy, like something you would see in the Bay of Biscay."

Skipper Joe Pender said he had never seen anything like it in the area

Seabirds circle the feeding whale

He said the whales' prey had become more widespread around the Isles of Scilly, which drew the giant creatures in.

"It's a fairly new phenomenon seeing something like this here," he said.

"I can only assume that it is something to do with changes in sea temperature, they will go wherever the food is.

"These are the best pictures I've had in these waters."

The humpback whale swims off after the feeding session

Matt Slater, marine conservation officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said the shots were "really exciting" and showed a change in the natural world around Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

"It was incredibly rare to see a humpback whale in the area five years ago," he said.

"But there are large shoals of sardines around and they are attracting all sorts of predators including whales."