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
The long-awaited auction of the Tonn Nua site, part of the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP), has been won by Helvick Head Offshore Wind DAC which is a joint venture between ESB and Ørsted. The developer wins a contract to provide electricity at €98.719 per megawatt hour (MWh) for a 20-year period. The
A species of whale, never before recorded in Ireland, washed up in Co Donegal last weekend. A small 2-3m whale or dolphin was reported to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group stranded on Sweet Nellies Beach, just north of Greencastle on the Inishowen Peninsular. After reviewing images sent with the report, IWDG Strandings Officer
On 12 November, IWDG joined colleagues from Fair Seas, BirdWatch Ireland, Irish Wildlife Trust, Irish Environmental Network and the wider Environmental Pillar for a briefing with Minister Timmy Dooley and officials from the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) on the future of Ireland’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation. The meeting followed Cabinet’s
Having delivered previous Whale Tales Events in the Green Isle Hotel, Dublin (2017), The Radisson Sligo (2022), the CECAS Ctr. In Leap, west Cork (2023), it was time to look north. As one of the few All-Ireland NGOs and perhaps the only marine themed NGO, the north always poses a few unique challenges for IWDG.
Applications are invited for a Chief Operating Officer (COO) position with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG). IWDG was founded in 1990 to establish an All-Ireland sighting and stranding scheme and to campaign for the declaration of Irish waters as a whale and dolphin sanctuary. Since then, the group has grown in numbers to
Job Title: Citizen Science Officer – ACCLIMATISE Project Organisation: Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) Location: Based in Northern Ireland (Hybrid considered) Contract Type: 3 Years full-time Starting Salary: €38,000 Application Deadline: 28th November 2025 About the IWDG The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) is an all-Ireland charity dedicated to the conservation and better