Our 2023 Irish humpback whale season produced a tally of 134 sighting records. At time of writing in early February 2025, we’ve received an almost identical tally of sighting records (n=133 see map right). It’s reasonable to assume that at this stage most of our humpbacks have either commenced or are about to depart on
With the recent announcement of 23 new Ministers of State, the final makeup of the new government is now apparent. These Junior Ministers will join the cabinet already announced, and all are responsible for delivering the Programme for Government (PfG) over the coming five years. In a time of unprecedented concern for the environment the
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
The recent humpback whale sighting in the Shannon Estuary caused quite a lot of excitement both inside the IWDG office and with the public. People traveled from all over Clare and beyond with their binoculars to see our new neighbor. The IWDG used their RIB to collect as much information as possible, including length and
On Saturday, 30th November 2024, Gemma received a call from Belmullet Garda Station about a live-stranded common dolphin near the Claggan Island causeway, Belmullet. This marked the third weekend in a row that a common dolphin had live-stranded in Ireland. The adult female was in good condition. Due to the remote location, she was initially
A recent argument critical of the development of Phase I bottom-fixed offshore wind farms in the Irish Sea and off Connemara has emerged, suggesting the State should divert its energies into building floating offshore wind (FLOW) far out to sea. It is claimed that FLOW has less environmental impact, and has the advantage that greater
13 December 2024 The IWDG team from the IWDG Head Office in Kilrush spent the afternoon trying to get a fluke shot of the whale to see if it has been recorded in Irish waters before it entered the Shannon Estuary. We tried to obtain a fluke shot which carries a unique pattern which can
On Saturday, 23rd November, a lone dolphin in distress was discovered on the shoreline by Lisa Lomax, who quickly contacted the IWDG and provided videos of the situation. IWDG responders were alerted, and as the dolphin appeared to be in reasonable condition and given that it was a pelagic species who may not know coastal
On Friday, 15th November, while John Power was birdwatching near the Gold Coast Hotel in Co. Waterford, he spotted a lone dolphin high and dry on a bank of sand out in the bay in Dungarvan. John quickly got in touch with IWDG and sent us videos. John Cahill at the same time also called
We’re delighted to share that the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has been awarded €6,800 through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Animal Welfare Charity Grant Programme. This funding is essential in supporting the continued role of our Live Stranding Coordinator, Gemma O’Connor. Based on the Mullet Peninsula—one of Ireland’s live stranding hotspots—Gemma