Pod of killer whales spotted in extremely rare sighting in the Channel by stunned pals on fishing trip
PALS on a fishing trip were stunned when they spotted what appeared to be a pod of killer whales in the Channel.
David Hilton, 64, and Paul Bradshaw, 61, were angling off the South Coast when they saw several large creatures breaching the surface.
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Two pals spotted what appeared to be a pod of killer whales in the Channel
Credit: Neil Hope
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David Hilton was angling off the South Coast when he spotted the creatures breaching the surface
Credit: Neil Hope
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Sightings of orcas in the Channel are extremely rare
Credit: Getty
They appeared to be hunting dolphins in busy international shipping lanes, just five miles south of Plymouth, Devon.
Also known as orcas, killer whales — like those in the hit film Free Willy — are seen in the North Sea and off the west coast of Scotland.
But sightings in the Channel are extremely rare.
David, a retired hospital worker, said: 'I couldn't believe it.
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'I've never seen orcas before in
Paul, a retired medical scientist and marine life enthusiast, added: 'We weren't sure what they were at first.
'The larger ones were over five metres long.'
Paul sent pictures to the Orca Research Trust, which said: 'While we can't say definitively that these were
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But Dr Peter Evans, professor of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University, said he thought they may have been white beaked dolphins.
He said: 'Changes in the status and distribution of various whale and dolphin species have been occurring in recent years.'
Terrifying moment huge fin is spotted off UK coast sparking fears killer WHALES are lurking close to shores
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The Irish Sun
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Eat to beat dementia – our guide to the best foods, optimum portions and recipes to SLOW down brain ageing
IT'S a cruel disease that slowly steals the memories of it's victims, eradicating precious moments before claiming life itself. There is currently no cure for dementia, but there is growing evidence that certain lifestyle tweaks can help prevent it. And now, scientists believe they might have hit upon a simple diet that can help slow down the brain's ageing. 8 It's been revealed the 'MIND diet' could help prevent cognitive decline Credit: Getty Almost one million people in the UK live with dementia. And by 2050, the worldwide number is expected to rise from 57m in 2019 to 152m. In recent years, major medical breakthroughs and new drugs have shown promise in the quest to find a cure. But while that Holy Grail eludes scientists, there is increasing weight to the argument that what we eat can help ward off the killer disease. Research published earlier this month found the 'MIND diet' could help prevent cognitive decline. Scientists at the University of Hawaii in Manoa found that people who followed the diet for 10 years had a 25 per cent lower risk of dementia. But what exactly is MIND? 'It combines two diets, the Mediterranean diet and 'It aims to reduce dementia and the decline in brain health that often happens as people get older. 'It encourages foods that support brain function, like leafy greens, berries, nuts and olive oil , and limits those that can have a negative effect on cognitive health, such as saturated fats and added sugars.' The MIND diet focuses on nutrients which are proven to protect brain cells, including antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins and polyphenols. Signs of dementia that might be missed 'Many experts regard these diets as two of the healthiest diets you can follow,' Emma says. 'Research has shown they can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and several other diseases.' The latest research is just the cherry on the cake. Studies have been ongoing in the area for a decade, with the first official paper showing MIND could significantly slow cognitive decline published in 2015. Evidence to show how it can boost your brain has been growing ever since. THE TOP MIND FOODS 8 To follow the MIND diet, you need to eat more leafy green vegetables Credit: Getty 8 Make sure to incorporate berries in your diet Credit: Getty 8 Whole grains like brown rice and wholewheat pasta are also very important Credit: Getty TO follow the MIND diet, you need to eat more leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, kale and lettuce. Berries, nuts, olive oil, whole grains (like brown rice and wholewheat pasta), beans, fish (preferably oily fish like salmon), poultry, oats and vegetables are also important. Of course, buying the best extra virgin olive oil and fresh berries is expensive. But Emma says there are ways to make MIND more affordable. 'Choose frozen berries and vegetables as they are just as nutritious and often cheaper,' she says. 'You can also buy chicken thigh instead of breast, which is often tastier, and use canned beans and fish. 'Making your own salad dressings with olive oil, vinegar and mustard is also really cost effective as the bottled stuff can be pricey.' HOW MANY PORTIONS? 8 The MIND diet recommends at least one portion of fish a week Credit: Getty 'In a nutshell, it's about incorporating brain-healthy foods,' she says. 'Beans and pulses are a big part of the diet as they are rich in B vitamins and protein, which is essential for brain function and neurotransmitter production. You should aim for three meals a week containing beans. 'The diet also recommends at least one portion of fish, though ideally it would be more than that. 'You should aim for at least one portion of oily fish as this is rich in omega-3 fats, which are important for the brain. 'You can also get omega-3s from other sources such as chia seeds and flax seeds so you can still follow MIND if you are vegan or vegetarian. It suits everyone.' THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT 8 MIND-recommended foods such as extra virgin olive oil are rich in polyphenols Credit: Getty MANY MIND-recommended foods such as extra virgin olive oil, leafy green vegetables and berries are rich in polyphenols. 'These are plant-based chemicals which are antioxidants and anti-inflammatory,' Nicolle says. Is it ageing or dementia? Dementia - the most common form of which is Alzheimer's - comes on slowly over time. As the disease progresses, symptoms can become more severe. But at the beginning, the symptoms can be subtle or mistaken for normal memory issues related to ageing. The You can refer to these above. For example, it is normal for an ageing person to forget which word to use from time-to-time, but difficulting having conversation would be more indicative of dementia. Katie Puckering, Head of Alzheimer's Research UK's Information Services team, 'As you get older, it takes longer for you to recall, or you really have to think; What was I doing? Where was I? What distracted me? Was it that I had to let the dog out? And then you find the keys by the back door. 'That process of retrieving the information is just a bit slower in people as they age. 'In dementia, someone may not be able to recall that information and what they did when they came into the house. 'What may also happen is they might put it somewhere it really doesn't belong. For example, rather than putting the milk back in the fridge, they put the kettle in the fridge.' 'They have been shown to Whole grain foods such as brown pasta and rice are important as they can promote better blood sugar balance, a crucial factor for long-term brain health. Another key part of the diet is magnesium, which has been proven to slow down brain ageing and can be found in nuts, seeds and wholegrains. 'The evidence for this diet is really strong,' Nicolle adds. 'This is something we should all be following.' FOODS TO AVOID Emma says to avoid foods "that can have a negative effect on cognitive health, such as saturated fats and added sugars". Think of saturated foods as those like fatty cuts of red meat, sausages, bacon, cured meats like salami, cheese, cream, ice cream and butter. It's also found in foods like biscuits, cakes, pastries, pies, chocolate, milkshakes and sausage rolls - which most of us know aren't the healthiest foods, anyway. UK health guidelines recommend that men should eat no more than 30g of saturated fat a day, and women 20g. You can make small changes like switching to skimmed milk, going for 'low fat' meats (i.e 5 per cent fat mince) or using leaner meats, like chicken. Added sugars are those that aren't natural (such as in fruit or honey). It's pretty much anything sweet and tasty, such as biscuits, fizzy drinks or squash and cakes. But added sugar is snuck into a huge variety of packaged foods, from condiments to soups, cereal and bread. Use the traffic light system on food labelling to spot a high sugar (red) product. Foods to avoid or limit: Butter, cream, cheese Red, cured or fatty meats Fried foods Sweet foods NICOLLE'S TOP TIPS FOR FAMILIES 8 Prepare smoothies ahead of time so the whole family can have a nourishing smoothie in the morning Credit: Getty 1. BE PREPARED PREPARE smoothies ahead of time and store them in zip lock bags in the fridge. In the morning, tip the contents into a blender so you and your children can have a nourishing smoothie before work and school. 2. HALF & HALF USE a mix of half brown and half white rice or pasta. Nobody will notice the difference but you'll get more goodness from the wholegrains. 3. TAKE A LEAF LEAFY greens like spinach shrink down when cooked, so adding a few handfuls to meals is a quick and low-effort way to boost nutrition, without putting children (and some adults) off. 4. BULK OUT WHEN making spaghetti bolognese, half the amount of mince and add a can of lentils. The lentils look similar to the meat so they are well hidden and taste great. In chilli, you can use black beans instead of mince. 5. EGGS-CELENT EVERYONE, including kids, loves eggy bread. Try making it with a thick slice of wholemeal bread, topped with maple syrup and strawberries. MEAL PLANS BREAKFAST OPTIONS: Greek yoghurt with berries, almonds and chopped walnuts Smoothie bowl with frozen berries, yoghurt and oats LUNCH OPTIONS: Mixed green salad with grilled chicken served with olive oil, lemon, or apple cider vinegar and wholegrain crackers Chicken caesar pitta filled with chicken, lettuce and caesar dressing DINNER OPTIONS: Quinoa bowl with chickpeas, broccoli, spinach and avocado dressed with olive oil and herbs, such as basil, oregano and parsley Salmon with steamed broccoli and a tray roasted vegetables, such as sweet potato, pepper and courgettes SNACKS: Nuts Hummus Apple slices with peanut butter 'LIVE LONGER' SMOOTHIE RECIPES 1. Raspberry chia smoothie Makes 2 servings 200g raspberries (defrosted if frozen) 100g pineapple (defrosted if frozen) 1 tsp chia seeds handful of spinach leaves 200ml milk of your choice. 2. Spinach, pineapple, banana smoothie Makes 2 servings 1 and a half cups of milk of choice 1 cup of spinach 1/2 cup of pineapple (defrosted if frozen) 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder 1 tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flaxseeds. MIND SHOPPING LIST 8 Make sure to include nuts such as walnuts and almonds in your diet Credit: Getty Leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, rocket, etc.) Berries - especially blueberries and strawberries Nuts such as walnuts and almonds Extra Virgin olive oil Whole grains such as brown bread, brown rice and wholegrain pasta Fish - preferably oily fish like salmon or sardines Beans such as lentils, chickpeas, or kidney beans Poultry - chicken or turkey Vegetables - fresh or frozen Oats
The Irish Sun
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The Irish Sun
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Never-before-seen dog-sized dinosaur that dodged 32ft flesh-eating giants and killer crocs found after 150 MILLION years
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Visitors will be able to get up close to the early American creature, which lived alongside iconic dinos like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus. "What we're dealing with here is a new species of dinosaur that comes from Colorado in the western USA," said Professor Paul Barrow, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun at the grand unveiling. Read more on dinosaurs "It was discovered back in 2021 and we were able to acquire it thanks to an amazingly generous private donation, which allowed us to buy it for the museum." BACK IN TIME The dinosaur itself is believed to have not been fully grown. Normally the upper and lower parts of the creature's back bones would fuse together as the animal aged. But they weren't fully fused together, suggesting that the dino may have been quite young. Most read in Science And it certainly would've been surrounded by "At the time, Colorado would have been a floodplain," said Professor Susannah Maidment, of the Natural History Museum, speaking to The Sun. Walking With Dinosaurs: Official Trailer, BBC "It would have had a series or rivers coming down from high land to the west, and there would have been dinosaurs all over it. "Some of the most famous dinosaurs – thinks like Diplodocus and Camarasaurus and Brachiosaurus. "And so this little dinosaur would have been running around at the feet of those giants." GREEN MACHINE This particular dinosaur was a herbivore, meaning it mostly ate plants. 13 The remarkably preserved fossilised skeleton was found in a quarry Credit: Natural History Museum 13 Scientists have pieced together the fossils to reconstruct the dinosaur Credit: Natural History Museum But because flowering plants hadn't evolved yet, Professor Maidment told us, it "would have just been eating things like cycads and ferns". The dinosaur didn't need to move fast to eat – but it did need speedy legs to avoid being eaten. It lived alongside deadly predators, including "We know it's a very speedy little dinosaur," said Professor Paul Barrow. 13 It was previously thought to be a type of poorly-understood dinosaur called a Nanosaurus Credit: Natural History Museum 13 The official name for the new dinosaur is the Engimacursor mollyborthwickae Credit: Natural History Museum "It has very long hind legs – it walks on its hind legs only. "So its main defence against predators would actually have just been a speedy getaway. "And it's living at the same time as quite a lot of other large predatory dinosaurs. "Probably the most famous of which is a thing called 29 to 32ft ) in length – it's quite common at the time. A timeline of life on Earth Here's a brief history of life on our planet 4.6billion years ago – the origin of Earth 3.8billion years ago – first life appears on Earth 2.1billion years ago – lifeforms made up of multiple cells evolve 1.5billion years ago – eukaryotes, which are cells that contain a nucleus inside of their membranes, emerge 550million years ago – first arthropods evolve 530million years ago – first fish appear 470million years ago – first land plants appear 380million years ago – forests emerge on Earth 370million years ago – first amphibians emerge from the water onto land 320million years ago – earliest reptiles evolve 230million years ago – dinosaurs evolve 200million years ago – mammals appear 150million years ago – earliest birds evolve 130million years ago – first flowering plants 100million years ago – earliest bees 55million years ago – hares and rabbits appear 30million years ago – first cats evolve 20million years ago – great apes evolve 7million years ago –first human ancestors appear 2million years ago – Homo erectus appears 300,000 years ago – Homo sapiens evolves 50,000 years ago – Eurasia and Oceania colonised 40,000 years ago – Neandethal extinction 13 The Sun spoke to Natural History Museum experts Professor Susannah Maidment and Professor Paul Barrett, who discovered the new species Credit: Natural History Museum "But also a lot of speedy predators as well, and also some big crocodiles that could have taken out this guy." DIG IT The creature was first unearthed in 2021 from a commercial quarry. And it was thought to be a Nanosaurus, a "poorly-known" species that was first named in 1870s. The Enigmacursor was acquired from the David Aaron Ltd gallery with support from David and Molly Lowell Borthwick (after whom the dinosaur is now named). 13 The dinosaur would've lived between 145 and 150 million years ago Credit: Natural History Museum 13 It would've lived alongside giants like Diplodocus and Stegosaurus Credit: Natural History Museum And Natural History Museum scientists renamed it after analysing the specimen, confirming it as a species new to science. But there is still a mystery: exactly how fast the nippy little creature could run. "It was a two-legged dinosaur and so it had very small forelimbs actually," Professor Maidment told us. "But we don't really know how fast it would have run at all. "It probably might have been able to just about outrun us – but probably not much faster than that." 13 Analysis of the dinosaur revealed that it belonged to a brand new species Credit: Natural History Museum 13 Visitors can go to see the dinosaur at the museum for free from Thursday, June 26 Credit: Sean Keach 13 Scientists have been able to reconstruct what the dinosaur would've looked like based on its fossils Credit: Natural History Museum
