Live Stranding – Common Dolphins at Tarmon, Co. Mayo
📍 Thursday 25th April 2024
On Wednesday evening, a call came in about three common dolphins observed swimming in very shallow water at Tarmon, Blacksod, a known live stranding hotspot on the Mullet Peninsula. With the tides not yet at the peak of the spring cycle, there was every chance the pod would be okay, despite the shallow conditions. They were monitored until the tide stopped dropping, and as they remained free-swimming, the best course of action was to avoid unnecessary human interference and leave them be for the night.
The following morning — Thursday 25th April, the call came in that two dolphins were stranded on the sand at Tarmon, one deceased and one alive. Based on tides, they weren’t stranded for too long. At the time, the IWDG Live Stranding Coordinator, based locally, was already out searching the coastline from Elly Bay to Tarmon for signs of the pod.
What began as a quiet, lonely 20 minutes on the beach for those first on scene soon turned into an incredible community response. Local people and visiting tourists soon pitched in to help, without hesitation, bringing energy, care, and vital support to the situation.
With calm surf and offshore winds, the decision was made to relocate the surviving dolphin to deeper water on the western side of the Mullet Peninsula to prevent a second stranding in the same area. Once acclimatised for a few minutes, she was released and assisted through the surf line by Cillian and Declan, experienced local surfers well aware of the local conditions and beach features. Once she was out back, she had calm surroundings and deep water to recuperate after the traumatic experience of live stranding. She did not make any attempt to swim back to shore and was soon lost from sight. The beach has been checked numerous times since her release and there is no sign of her, which is a positive in these cases.
📷 Photos by: Evonne Meers
Watch a short clip of the event here
This was not an isolated incident. Exactly one week earlier, a pod of five common dolphins was seen in the same spot during neap tides. They were monitored until dark — too shallow to herd, yet still swimming freely. At first light the following morning, one dolphin was found deceased, washing ashore with onshore winds, and the other four were nowhere to be seen.
That pod’s behaviour was also captured on video the night before the stranding, showing them circling the shallows and appearing to stay close to one individual that wasn’t swimming properly.
Tarmon has seen common dolphin strandings for decades. This stretch of coast is a national hotspot for live strandings of offshore species such as the common dolphin, with several possible contributing factors including feeding in Blacksod Bay, gently sloping beaches, shifting sandbars in the shallows, and local geology. The Mullet Peninsula forms a natural barrier between the bay and the Atlantic. Like Cape Cod in the U.S., its shape may create a geographic trap, where dolphins entering shallow bays struggle to find their way back out before a spring tide drops 3-4 metres quickly. If common dolphins haven’t left these area’s before the tide is too low, they can end up trapped there while the tide drops further and the waterline retreats up to a kilometre from shore in places. Waiting for the tide to return can be as long as seven hours, which is detrimental to the health of a dolphin out of the water.
This area also includes a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for bottlenose dolphins, a coastal species that knows this area well. Bottlenose dolphins feed very close to shore and sometimes in the shallows, but unlike common dolphins — which are offshore species — they do not get into difficulty here.
There is a lot that can be learned from a post-mortem of a freshly deceased dolphin. Unfortunately, there is currently no state-run scheme for all cetacean (dolphins, porpoises, and whales) post-mortems in Ireland. These examinations require laboratories, veterinary pathologists, lab analysis, biologists and volunteers for animal recovery — not a simple task, but one that can yield vital information. IWDG runs a post-mortem scheme for deep diving and rare species, supported by National Parks and Wildlife Service. IWDG also ran a three year porpoise and common dolphin post-mortem scheme in the past, with support from the state, proving that a post-mortem scheme can be done in Ireland. We hope that in time, the government will introduce a dedicated post mortem scheme for all cetaceans to support this essential work and cetacean conservation in Ireland.
🔔 Please remember:
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Never drag a dolphin by the tail — this can cause severe pain, stress, and life-ending injuries for the animal.
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If you see a dolphin in distress or stranded, call the IWDG Live Stranding Hotline: 097 28118.
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IWDG has a network of trained volunteers all around Ireland’s coast who can assist live stranded animals.
💙 A huge thank you to everyone who responded so quickly and compassionately, your quick response made a huge difference in increasing this dolphin’s chance of survival.
Catherine Meenaghan, Cillian Ó Mongáin, Gemma O’Connor, John & Evonne Meers, Eilke, Declan O’Connor (Tonn Nua Surf School), Fleur, Mangus & Emmet, Derek Charles, Michael, Siobhan, Diana Carvalho & family from Dundalk, Chiara and Ricardio from Italy, Kathleen and Eilish Padden (the same Padden family who rescued Columbus the loggerhead turtle).