A reflection on the Waterford/Western Scotland Sperm whale Last month we wrote about the sperm whale in Waterford Estuary on March 25th which after spending the day in the shallows around Arthurstown left the estuary that same evening on a falling tide. A week later on April 1st Scottish fishermen saw it around Little Cumbrae
Live Stranding – Common Dolphins at Tarmon, Co. Mayo📍 Thursday 25th April 2024 On Wednesday evening, a call came in about three common dolphins observed swimming in very shallow water at Tarmon, Blacksod, a known live stranding hotspot on the Mullet Peninsula. With the tides not yet at the peak of the spring cycle, there
On the 27th of March 2025, the Jakup Sverri took off from Torshavn, Faroe Islands. Together with an Irish, Dutch and Norwegian ship, researchers would survey the European Atlantic to assess the blue whiting stock. This yearly survey allows for a fair distribution of the stock through national maximum catch limits and the continuous survival
Final Report IV: A team from SMASS (Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme) were on stand by to carry out an investigation of the sperm whale on Wed. 9th, alas it was taken back by the sea on a falling tide and the carcass was lost for a few days, until it came back ashore on
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group wishes to recruit a seasonal part time Marine Biologist to run research surveys onboard IWDG’s research vessel Celtic Mist. Celtic Mist was donated to the IWDG in 2011, by the family of Ireland’s former Taoiseach, Charles J. Haughey. At 17m, Celtic Mist has become IWDG’s flagship vessel, equipped to
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) is delighted to announce it has received funding through the Heritage Council’s Organisation Support Fund 2025 for our project “Strategic Coordination and Digital Support for Ireland’s Marine Biodiversity.” This key initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of heritage-focused organisations across Ireland, enabling long-term, sustainable impact in the protection
On the 5 March, a 9.8 male sperm whale was reported to the IWDG Stranding Scheme by Eoin Hogan of the CLDC. An IWDG team visited the carcass immediately in order to gather baseline data from the animal, which includes total body length, gender, detailed images of the carcass, and a skin sample for the
The IWDG were saddened to hear of the passing of Matt Murphy, founder of Sherkin Island Marine Station last Thursday. Matt was a legendary figure in the realm of marine biology and marine environmentalism in Ireland, and particularly in west Cork. Matt established Sherkin Island Marine Station, with his wife Eileen, in 1975. The Marine
At time of writing in early March 2025, our 2024/25 fin whale season is nearing an end. It looked like it was over by late January, with just a single fin whale sighting record off Helvic Head, Co. Waterford on February 8th however, effort watches since Feb. 25th by our local IWDG Cork group have
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