Report update VII: 4 July 16:50
Two additional dolphin reports today from Bray and Wicklow Head suggest that the bottlenose dolphins are still active in the area.
Report update VI: 3 July 17:50
A synopsis of the details provided in a number of reports yesterday evening from Patrick O’ Mara, Anthony Quinn & Luke Johnston in the Scotsman’s Bay & Dun Laoighaire area between 17:50-20:30 suggest that these are almost certainly our highly mobile bottlenose dolphins. At 20:30 they were bow-riding yachts close to the mouth of Dun Laoighaire harbour mouth.
It is interesting to track the movements of these dolphins from your reports, and a bit of a puzzle as to why they are spending so much energy travelling up and down the coast when your reports suggest there is plenty of available food in places like Greystones.
For more information on this species, click on the following link:
www.iwdg.ie/species_profiles.asp?speciesID=2251
Report update V: 3 July 14:05
Local IWDG Greystones member Dinah Boyne and family are now watching a pod of 10+ bottlenose dolphins off the North Beach area of Greystones, Co. Wicklow. They are 100% confident on species ID. This is a great opportunity to view these often energetic dolphins.
It is noteworthy that local members have informed us that mackerel have been shoaling inshore along the Greystones area in the past 10 days. Having spent 30 years living in Greystones, I can vouch that this is very unusual, as the mackeral typically arrived in the area around late August.
That’s the latest. Keep watching www.iwdg.ie for the latest updates on this amazing east coast activity
Report update IV: 3 July 11:50
There has been a spate of sighting reports of what are most likely to be Bottlenose dolphins off Bray Head area around 11:50. These are on top of two seperate sightings both yesterday afternoon 2/07/07 when they were seen at 16:50 around 150m off the Old Baths area, near Bray Head, and later at 20:00 off Bray Beach.
Today’s group size range is between 11-20 individuals. Their behaviour, group size and fact that they are interacting with local boats, makes it far more likely that these are Bottlenose dolphins, and not the much paler, and bulbous headed Risso’s dolphins which local members may be more familiar with. Also the fact that they are swimming so close to shore, would seem to rule out their being Common dolphins.
Pádraig Whooley
IWDg Sightings Co-ordinator
Report update III: 2 July
The latest report of dolphins in the area came from Slaine O’ Brien on 2/07/07 between the Bray Beach and Bray Head area, Co. Wicklow. The description of their breaching and joining the Bray rowers craft, would tend to rule out their being Risso’s dolphins as this species generally does not approach small craft. The group size estimated at 6, suggests these may be the same Bottlenose dolphins seen by Dick Coomes off Kilcoole on Fri 29th.
Report update II: 29 June
This is now the 3rd date that dolphins have been documented in Dublin Bay area. But the day started off in North Wicklow area, with a report by well- known birder and IWDG Wicklow member, Dick Coombes, who observed a group of 6-8 bottlenose dolphins, travelling fast, in a northerly direction off Kilcoole beach train station area at 13.25.
Later that day another regular observer and birder, Noel Keogh reported a group of c7 bottlenose dolphins at 18:00 at Great South Wall, Poolbeg Bay. Both observers are confident on species ID. Given the similarity in group size and the fact that the distances are <16 miles apart, we think it's likely that these are the same pod of bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
We’ve also heard that the wardens at the Little Tern Colony have been picking up some Risso’s dolphin activity in the a