The first live stranding event of 2025 – Mullet Peninsula, Co. Mayo

The live stranding season for 2025 has kicked off with a bang, with three common dolphins getting into difficulty on the Mullet Peninsula. This location comes as no surprise, as it was most likely going to be the Mullet Peninsula in Mayo or Cloghane in Co. Kerry that saw the first common dolphins in difficulty this year. Both locations are Ireland’s main live stranding hotspots, accounting for almost half of all common dolphin live strandings annually around the country. Notably, Cork harbour has also been making a name for itself lately in terms of live strandings.

In recent years, there seems to be increase in the abundance of the pelagic common dolphin in Ireland’s coastal waters. This doesn’t necessarily mean there are more common dolphins in the North Atlantic, but rather that their range may have shifted further north. This trend has been noted not just in Ireland, but also in the Bay of Biscay (Astarloa et al. 2021), and further north around Iceland.

Why more common dolphins are feeding in coastal waters remains unclear, but it raises an important point: as we see more pelagic dolphins venturing into shallower coastal waters, we are likely to see an increase in live strandings. This is being reflected in our strandings data.

IWDG data revealed a noticeable increase in stranded (dead) commons beginning around 2011 (McGovern et al., 2018), and live stranded commons. Live stranded common dolphins are mostly found in shallow, flat or gently sloping terrain, sandflats or mudflats which have been exposed during low tides. Natural or man made barriers such as rock outcrops, spits, piers, or channels which these pelagic species are not familiar with can hinder their ability to leave shallow area before the tide retreats completely.

 

Live Stranded dolphins Saturday 11/01/25.

Our live stranding coordinator received a call from the public reporting that they had re-floated a small dolphin in Ardmore, on the Mullet Peninsula. Thank you Bernie Padden.

Mayo IWDG volunteers, while checking the area to see if the young common dolphin was still around, found two common dolphins 400m south in a boggy tidal area of the shoreline behind a shingle spit. With fading light, the safety of volunteers always comes first so we requested the assistance of Ballyglass RNLI to support our volunteers. Ballyglass ILB relocated the dolphins to deep water further out in the bay, giving the dolphins the best chance possible. A huge heartfelt thanks to Ballyglass RNLI for their assistance and IWDG volunteers Tom, Niamh, Agatha & Catherine.
Many thanks again to all who report dolphins in distress to us, enabling our volunteers to assess the dolphins’ health and make the best choice for the animals on welfare grounds.
Common dolphins, being a pelagic species, frequently get into trouble on the east side of the Mullet Peninsula when they enter the bay to feed. Unlike the larger coastal bottlenose dolphins we frequently see in the bay, common dolphins are much more familiar with deep offshore waters. Shallow, flat, sandy, or muddy areas seem to cause significant confusion for their echolocation, making it difficult for them to navigate back to deeper water. For this reason, the Mullet Peninsula is one of two live stranding hotspots in Ireland for common dolphins. IWDG has invested in equipment and training locals on how to respond to live stranding events in the area.

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If you see a live-stranded dolphin, call the IWDG hotline on 097 28118

1. Take a video of the dolphin and the surrounding area to help our coordinator identify the species, assess its condition, and evaluate the terrain.
2. Get a Google pin or GPS location of the dolphin’s position.
3. While waiting for volunteers to arrive, keep the area calm with low, hushed voices, stay at least 20m away from the animal, and keep dogs away.
4. Never drag a dolphin by the tail or use its tail or fins to lift the dolphin it as this can cause serious injury to the animal, even dislocations which are life ending injuries for a dolphin.

These four actions aim to reduce stress on the animal, keep it safe from further injury, and lower the chances it goes into shock.

If you would like to become a volunteer and join the local team of responders, keep an eye on our Facebook page for news of training locally in 2025 or drop an email to livestrandings@iwdg.ie to be added to our training list. There are various volunteer roles available, including land assistance, equipment assistance, and roles for volunteers who can enter the water (never more than waist-deep) to support and re-float dolphins. A good level of fitness and safety awareness are required from all volunteers.

Photos courtesy of Bernie Padden (member of the public) and IWDG volunteers Tom Breathnach and Catherine Meenaghan

An explanation of terms

The following are short explanations of terms used and noted observations. These and more are covered in detail in IWDG Live Stranding Courses. Details of our 2025 courses around Ireland will be made available in early 2025.

  • Pelagic Dolphin – Species of dolphins that primarily inhabits the open ocean, away from coastal areas. e.g Common dolphins, Atlantic white sided dolphins. These dolphins are highly adapted to life in deep, offshore waters, often ranging far from land.
  • Coastal Species – Dolphin species or porpoises that primarily inhabit shallow waters near coastlines, bays, estuaries, and river mouths are well-adapted to life in nearshore environments. Examples include bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises.
  • Breathing rate – A healthy, calm dolphin’s breathing rate is 2–5 breaths per minute. A rate of 6–10 breaths per minute indicates the dolphin is stressed or its breathing is compromised. More than 10 breaths per minute suggests the dolphin is severely stressed or has serious respiratory problems. This rate can return to normal when the stress is reduced, the dolphin is cooled, or trenches are dug under the animal to relieve pressure on the pectoral fins and lungs. However, if the breathing rate doesn’t decrease after first aid is administered, it indicates a poor prognosis for the dolphin.
  • First aid – Positioning, cooling, calming, and protecting the dolphin from the sun or wind are critical (attend an IWDG Live Stranding course to learn how to help a live-stranded dolphin).
  • Startled – Common dolphins, in particular, startle easily when live stranded. It is best to let them see you at all times, approach slowly, and keep the area quiet. Volunteers should work in hushed voices. Dolphins can calm when they realise you aren’t a threat. Handling should be kept to a minimum, and first aid should be given promptly.
  • Listing – When a dolphin live strands and lists to one side, the lung on the downward side is compressed, causing the opposite lung to over-inflate slightly to compensate. When the dolphin re-enters the water with this lung imbalance, it may continue to list to one side. This imbalance can recover over time, and the dolphin’s position in the water may become more neutral.
  • Live Stranding – A live stranding occurs when a dolphin, whale, or porpoise is beached alive, out of the water. This is more common in Common dolphins, which are a pelagic species and unfamiliar with local coastlines, unlike Harbour porpoises or Bottlenose dolphins. When Common dolphins feed closer to the coast or venture over flat areas with sandbars or mudflats, they can become disoriented and fail to find their way out before the tide recedes, especially during spring tides.
  • Survival time – Dolphins breathe air through the blowhole at the top of their head, so they can survive out of water for a significant time, often hours, if cared for properly. However, a live stranding for a dolphin is akin to a car crash for us, taking a massive toll on its body. Dolphins survive longer when trained IWDG volunteers attend to them, provide first aid and keep the area calm, but the longer they remain out of water, the more severe the effects of the stranding. Some dolphins are highly susceptible to stress and can die quickly from shock, especially if mishandled or attacked by gulls. Overheating out of water severely compromises a dolphin’s health, as does lying on their side while stranded. Large whales, unfortunately, face additional challenges due to their immense weight, which can cause muscle breakdown, clog their kidneys, and lead to renal failure, among other fatal conditions. As a result, large whales are not candidates for re-floating.
  • Re-floating – if a dolphin is deemed a re-float candidate, it is first gently rolled on to a tarpaulin or rescue sheet using a technique taught in our live stranding courses. The tarpaulin is then lifted by around 6 people as a common can weight up to 130kg, and is placed no more than thigh to waist deep. It is then allowed to recover for a time before being released. A dolphins tail or fins should never be used to move or pull a dolphin as this can cause dislocation injuries to the dolphin.