John Coe and Aquarius: a much-awaited reunion
© North Coast Sea Tours, Ryan MacRae - 14 February 2025
The West Coast Community inspires a strong connection with not only those that have been lucky enough to see them but everyone who knows their incredible story.
Numbering 10 individuals when HWDT first began monitoring the group in the 90’s, since 2016 only two males have been recorded. These two old bulls may be the last of this unique population of killer whales. The West Coast Communities story is a tragic one, but one that inspires a lot of passion and dedication from many people.
John Coe and Aquarius, who we believe to be the last remaining members of the West Coast Community, carry their family’s legacy with them, and have become two of the most loved killer whales in not only Scotland, but across the UK and Ireland.
This year has been a roller coaster of emotions for those who follow the story of these two charismatic animals.
©Ewan Miles - John Coe and Aquarius were observed travelling through the Sound of Mull in 2024
In 2024, we had almost 60 confirmed sightings of John Coe and Aquarius, sent in either through our community sightings network Whale Track, shared on social media platforms or reported to our partners at the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, with the majority of these reports being of the pair together.
© North Coast Sea Tours, Ryan MacRae - First confirmed sighting of John Coe and Aquarius in 2025 on 14 February off Arisaig Point
In comparison, 2025 has been a quieter year for sightings of the boys, with current confirmed sighting counts totaling just 21 reports. However, this was not what caused the roller coaster of emotions - sightings fluctuate year on year and it’s not unusual to have some years with fewer sightings. The roller coaster started when there was a dearth of sightings of John Coe for 12 weeks. Last seen with Aquarius near Rathlin Island, off Ireland, on 05 May, a solitary Aquarius was then recorded on 15 June around Dingle Bay, Ireland and subsequently in Donegal Bay throughout July, with no sign of John Coe. There have been periods in the past of the pair being seen separately, so although not unusual, it was the duration of time between sightings of John Coe and the lone reports of Aquarius that started to raise some concerns, sparking questions about why they separated and what had happened to John Coe.
©Provided by IWDG - Aquarius recorded in Donegal Bay on 19 July
Thankfully, a collective sigh of relief resounded across the whale watching community, when on 25 July, Andy Clarke, a passenger onboard a CalMac ferry passing Ardnamurchan, happened to snap a photo of a lone killer whale, with a rather distinctive nick out of the base of his fin. This confirmed sighting of John Coe caused a symphony of celebrations across the whale watching community. Leaving just one question, when will the pair reunite?
©Andy Clarke - The first confirmed sighting of John Coe, after 12 weeks of absence, taken on 25 July near Ardnamurchan
Sightings of Aquarius continued into August, still recorded in the Donegal Bay area. So, when a sighting of John Coe came in confirming he was back in Irish waters, albeit on opposite sides of the country, (spotted off in Co. Louth on 23 August) everyone was hoping for a much-anticipated reunion. But it wasn’t until 15 September, back in Hebridean seas, in the Sound of Rum, that the whale watching community once again celebrated, as this much-loved pair of West Coast Community killer whales, were finally seen to have reunited. 19 weeks since they were last seen together, the rollercoaster of emotions finally came to a happy conclusion.
©Hebrides Cruises, Indy Greene - The first confirmed sighting of John Coe and Aquarius reunited, taken 15 September, Sound of Rum, northwest of the Isle of Eigg
©Hebrides Cruises, Indy Greene
This year is a poignant reminder of just how much we still have to learn about even some of the most loved animals in our seas.
Why do John Coe and Aquarius choose to separate?
How do they find each other again?
Where do they go during the long periods between sightings?
Much of what we know about these animals is thanks to sightings like these that come through our incredible Whale Track community or submitted to IWDG across the water. Your sightings and reports help us monitor these remarkable whales and only with continued monitoring and the contributions of so many incredible citizen scientists, can we try to find the answers to the many more questions we have and add new pieces to this ever-evolving puzzle about what we know about these animals.
©Richard Jordan, reported 16 September, Neist Point