A YOUNG family out kayaking were awestruck to see a humpback whale in Talland Bay.

Melissa and Ben Howarth and their two sons Stanley, four, and Austin, two, had set off at around 10am on Sunday in flat calm weather and were exploring the rocks in the direction of Looe when they were waved down by a family in a small boat.

“We paddled over to them and they told us there was a whale approaching us and they were worried as we had little ones on our kayak,” said Melissa. “We paddled to a safe distance away, making sure not to frighten the whale. It was frequently surfacing to breathe. We all just watched in absolute silence, it was incredible. We made sure not to paddle and remained drifting until the whale had passed heading towards Polperro. It was truly amazing and we will never forget it.”

The Howarths, who live in Pelynt, have seen seals and some really big fish while exploring the shoreline but had never seen a whale before – and their four year old decided to name it Nelson after the whale in a book by Looe author Ellie Jackson.

The juvenile humpback whale, around nine to 10 metres long, had been sighted in Plymouth Sound previously, and is being monitored by volunteers from British Divers Marine Life Rescue.

Photographs reveal the creature to be in poor nutritional condition and with some extensive healing injuries to its tail. The whale may have headed west into Cornish waters after leaving Plymouth Sound while the SailGP event was taking place.

“SailGP is committed to minimizing risk to the local marine environment and ensuring its racing has minimal impact on marine wildlife,” said BDMLR. “There is a comprehensive marine mammal protocol for all events, developed with the Ocean Conservation Trust.

“This was successfully enacted when the whale swam through part of the racecourse, temporarily halting a race. Water users are urged to keep their distance from the animal, as it may be stressed.”