Interested in a weekend with a difference? Why not join the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) www.iwdg.ie, Ireland’s leading marine conservation NGO, on a weekend whale-watching course in West Cork during summer 2026. In taking part, you will also be actively supporting whale and dolphin conservation and research in Ireland. Our 2026 residential weekend will once
Introduction & Summary of 2025 2025 could turn out to be something of a watershed year for humpback whales in Irish waters. In terms of numbers of sightings, the past two years were very different with 150 sightings in 2024/5 compared with 104 in 2025/6, an almost 30% decline. This can’t easily be explained by
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
After the highs of 2024 which broke all previous basking shark records with 357 validated sightings, it was always going to be a difficult year to beat and so it transpired with 186 sightings so far in 2025. While acknowledging that the calendar year still has some way to go, when it comes to Cetorhinus
Summer Sightings Summary Roundup 2025 As we are now past the halfway mark in the year, it’s as good a time as any to take a look at what the sightings data might be telling us. With a running total of 1,386 validated unique records year to date, we may be having a quieter year
Before I get into the meat of this piece, I’d like to tackle an issue which seems to get some people both animated and agitated in equal measure. There is no right or wrong way to refer to this species. Some people use the term “Killer whale” whilst others prefer “Orca”. Neither one is more
IWDG report on Whale Watch Ireland 2025 On Saturday 17th May the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) delivered another Whale Watch Ireland event. All Ireland Whale Watch day, now in its 23rd year, comprises free, guided land-based whale watches, which this year was planned for and delivered at 14 sites in 14
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