RECENTLY the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group completed its second, in its summer series of residential weekend courses, at the Cecas centre in Leap, which was attended by 35 whale enthusiasts from as far afield as the Isle of Man and Germany.
‘A fairly stiff easterly airflow brought the expected white caps and poor visibility which made for difficult viewing conditions for land watches at both Toe and Cloghna Head,’ said sightings officer Padraig Whooley.
‘So we were under some pressure to deliver on our pelagic boat trip with Cape Clear ferries from Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. Thankfully the weather again did us a favour as the winds fell slack.’
At Baltimore pier, the group was joined by 15 local IWDG members, bringing the total of the group to 50, which could be something of a record for the biggest gathering of whale watchers on a single boat in Ireland.
The group had much praise for the ferryboat, the Carraig Aonair. ‘Fast and comfortable, she really is a great platform for such pelagics, with two viewing decks, ensuring she never feels crowded,’ said Padraig.
Over the course of the four-hour trip, the group enjoyed sightings of several groups of common dolphins but just a single minke whale, which was seen by most on board.
‘It’s hard avoiding the fact that local West Cork waters remain very quiet, and have been all summer, with most large whale activity coming from Kerry and Donegal Bay. So we departed with low expectations, but there is nothing quite like the energy and exhilaration of bow riding common dolphins to lift the spirits in an otherwise empty sea,’ he added.
The group is planning to return to Cecas for workshops in May and September.
