The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group is Ireland’s premier eNGO working in the marine environment. Established in 1990, the IWDG has built a credible reputation for effective advocacy for cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) and their habitats. The IWDG is also a primary data holder with unique datasets on cetaceans which we use to support
For the first eight years of the Irish humpback whale catalogue, a map of their known movements would have been pretty uninteresting as it probably wouldn’t of extended much beyond a 100 mile box along the Irish Celtic Sea area. Then an international breakthrough in Sept. 2007 with Conor Ryan’s image of #HBIRL07 (NAHWC #04790)
In the summer of 1992 a dilapidated cottage near the southern tip of Dursey Island, on rugged Beara Peninsula, was purchased by a remarkable couple, Derek and Joanna Scott (below). They renovated it and over the next 30 years, it morphed into so much more than a home. “Scott’s Place” as it was known, became
During November IWDG hardly received a single whale sighting record……in fact an attempt at mapping all whale sightings for the first half of the month results in zero sightings and a completely blank map. What is odd is that November is historically a really good time, if not the best time, for large whale sightings
IWDG Welcomes the creation of two new marine protection sites for biodiversity. Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan TD announced the creation of two new Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) at the COP15 UN Biodiversity Conference in Montréal, Canada. Ireland’s former attitude towards marine protection was ineffective, and progress was stifled
Last weekend the IWDG team made their way to Glasgow for a packed weekend of talks, interactive sessions, and exhibitions. Becky, Science Officer and Sibéal, Education and Outreach Officer attended the Marine Forum 2022 hosted by the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding (SMASS) and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC). The Marine Forum is an annual event
Remember fin whales? Yes, these are the large whales that really kick started the IWDG’s Whale Track, or the “Large whale Project” as it was known some 20 years ago. It’s so easy to forget with so much of the emphasis in recent times on humpbacks, that fin whales were historically the more dominant of
The IWDG welcomes the new report by the Joint Committee on Environment and Climate Action on Biodiversity. The Committee was chaired by Brian Leddin TD and included 15 members from across all parties. This report points the way towards how we restore biodiversity in nature and how to best reap the co-benefits associated with diverse
The deep-sea floor is rich with minerals required for a more environmentally sustainable future. But at what cost? The potential catastrophic impact of mining operations on the deep-sea environment is undeniable. These are habitats currently largely unexplored by man and far removed from all human settlements, and therefore difficult for many people to appreciate what
Citizen Assembly on Biodiversity Grand Hotel, Malahide 5 November 2022 We are very lucky in Ireland, indeed privileged to have such a rich biodiversity of marine species such as whales and dolphins, seabirds, seals, sharks and even tuna. We have a huge EEZ, 7 times our land mass, hosting a variety of marine habitats, up