The first humpback whale of the 2017 whale season was spotted yesterday afternoon off the Beara Peninsula.
First humpback whale of this year spotted by 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 humpback whale of this year was spotted yesterday afternoon by IWDG officer Patrick Lyne. The giant seasonal visitor was spotted tail-fluking from Crow Head, Beara Peninsula about 5 Km offshore among a large group of common dolphins.
Around a dozen minke whales were also spotted yesterday in the waters around Ventry, Slea Head and the Blaskets in Co. Kerry.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) 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.
