First humpback whale of 2018 spotted off the Beara Peninsula

The first humpback whale of the 2018 has been spotted off the Beara Peninsula.

Beara Penisula The spectacular southwest is an ideal location for whale watching

Following on from the exciting appearance of killer whales earlier this month, and with minke whales now showing up at locations along the southwest coast, whale watching season is well and truly underway.

First humpback whale 2018 Beara Peninsula

First humpback whale of this year spotted off the Beara Peninsula (Credit IWDG officer Patrick Lyne)

Ireland is lucky to have some of the world’s most fantastic creatures visit our waters and our coast is an ideal feeding area for these gentle giants, located midway as they migrate across the Atlantic between Western Africa and Northern Scandinavia. Around 25 different species of whale visit our water each year feeding on huge numbers of sprat and herring.

The first humpack of 2018 was spotted by members of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who are dedicated to the preservation and better understanding of these special creatures. They do that through research, education and monitoring the movements of these marine mammals. With Humpbacks, it’s the distinctive marks on their tails that allows the IWDG to track and monitor their movements.

About the Author

Daniel Farrell
Interested in all things on the Irish coast and sharing the best of it. // Email: Daniel@coastmonkey.ie // Follow on Twitter: @DanielsSeaViews