IWDG member and marine ecologist, Siún Ní Cheallaigh, began to develop a photo-identification catalogue for Risso’s dolphins in Ireland last summer. The initial funding to cover the cost of targeted photo-identification survey effort was granted by Galway Atlantaquaria’s funding for small conservation projects. Historical images of Risso’s dolphins going back as far as 2003 were
Interested in a weekend with a difference? Why not join the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) www.iwdg.ie, Ireland’s leading marine conservation NGO, on a weekend whale-watching course in West Cork during summer 2026. In taking part, you will also be actively supporting whale and dolphin conservation and research in Ireland. Our 2026 residential weekend will once
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has announced that 2026 will be the final season for its dedicated research sailing vessel, Celtic Mist. The 17-metre yacht was donated to the IWDG by the Haughey family in 2011 and has surveyed more than 100,000 km of Irish inshore and offshore waters since 2012. The vessel
The IWDG read with interest the recent Marine Institute Report “Crayfish catch and bycatch in the tangle net fishery off the southwest coast of Ireland in 2021 – 2024” (EMFAF 2021-2027 Marine Institute Report Series). We are very concerned with the high level of bycatch documented in this fishery. The study examined catch and bycatch
MARÉIRE, the project that brings together the IWDG, Birdwatch Ireland and the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) to better understand and protect marine biodiversity in relation to offshore renewable energy (ORE), has recently launched a new website (www.mareire.ie). The website outlines the work of the project in “finding a balance between mitigating the climate crisis and
Introduction & Summary of 2025 2025 could turn out to be something of a watershed year for humpback whales in Irish waters. In terms of numbers of sightings, the past two years were very different with 150 sightings in 2024/5 compared with 104 in 2025/6, an almost 30% decline. This can’t easily be explained by
We were discussing only yesterday what our next IWDG “Flukes” magazine might look like, and we’ve settled on the theme of “Change”, which based on this morning’s observations by Dave O’ Connor at Howth Head, could be timely. For Dave, not only records what he sees, but also documents his observations with strong photography. Among
An early morning message from Gemma O’Connor, IWDG Live Stranding Coordinator, just before 9am alerted us once again to an estimated 8 dolphins circling on a dropping tide in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare. Having assisted with a previous mass live stranding at the same location before Christmas, we were familiar with the terrain and felt well
On Sunday, 27 common dolphins stranded in Ballyvaughan. The dolphins were in good body condition, indicating they were a healthy pod prior to the event. This was most likely a case of navigational error on a dropping tide, with this pelagic pod becoming disoriented in shallow, muddy terrain and unable to escape before the tide
Joint Press Release: Provided by the Center for Coastal Studies, the New England Aquarium, and the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group. Published verbatim as submitted. Unique Encounter with Right Whale off Boston Reveals Unusual European Connection BOSTON, MASS. (Dec. 3, 2025) – Researchers have discovered that a North Atlantic right whale recently sighted in Massachusetts