A live stranded whale was reported to the IWDG stranding scheme in Glengarriff, Co. Cork on 1 May 2022. Although it managed to refloat itself before members of the IWDG Live Stranding Network arrived to the scene, it was unfortunately found washed up dead the following day. The IWDG can now announce that the whale
This humpback whale of unknown gender, known to IWDG as # HBIRL77 was first recorded off Inis Oirr, Aran Islands, Co. Galway, by divers on 27th Aug. 2016. He/she has been photo identified every year since, with re-sightings on 22 dates over the past 7 years; most of which are from the known Irish Southwest
Explore the rich variety of life in Ireland this May with a host of wonderful events and activities for the whole family. “This year join in with our 10th annual Biodiversity Photographer of the Year competition, a weekend Biolitz and Scavenger Hunt, and events every day on all things wildlife in Ireland! Events will
The IWDG are collaborating with our colleagues BiosCV on Boavista in Cabo Verde on a new project to try and capture the range of vocalisations (singing) by humpback whales on these tropical humpback whale breeding grounds. Photo-id of humpback whales in Cabo Verde has revealed matches between Ireland and Cabo Verde (see https://iwdg.ie/2nd-irish-humpback-match-to-the-cape-verdes/) showing we
White whales are for some, the most mythical of creatures; they are the Holy Grail of whale watching. For the very few fortunate enough to witness such a rarely seen animal, it’s likely to be a transformative experience. So what do we know of this anonymously pigmented or leucistic humpback whale? Well to start with,
It’s been quite a while since IWDG attended an industry show, but with a little encouragement from Sandra O’ Donovan, we took the plunge at last weekend’s Irish Skipper Expo, where all roads lead to the University of Limerick sports complex. The only fly in the ointment was that the show was right in the
You’ll never forget your first killer whale sighting; in fact, you’ll probably never forget any killer whale sighting, especially when it happens in local waters; and for good reason. They are a species that have a unique ability to leave even the most neutral observer lost for words. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen
Irish Basking Shark 2022 Season is underway There is a natural order as to how species of marine megafauna appear each year. Whilst always allowing for occasional outliers, the season generally starts slowly, building to a peak and then sightings taper off, till they’ve largely all left, presumably for pastures anew. The basking shark Cetorhinus
For thousands of years, whales, dolphins, and porpoises (cetaceans) have played an essential role in human culture and mythology. The ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated these sentient animals through storytelling, art, and poetry in which they represented intelligence and kindness. Held in high esteem, dolphins were closely linked with the gods. The sun god Apollo,
The IWDG would like to clarify our opinion on recent whale strandings of deep-diving whale species. Currently the IWDG cannot call this a UME – an Unusual Mortality Event. It is important to report all stranded cetaceans to the IWDG so we can identify any unusual trends. Deep-diving species, such as Cuvier’s beaked and sperm