IRELAND

Donegal humpback whale sighting like 'lottery win'


Louise Cullen - BBC NI agriculture and environment correspondent
Wed, June 21, 2023 

A humpback whale named Spot has been seen off the coast of County Donegal.

Otherwise known as #HBIRL24, the huge marine mammal was seen in Donegal Bay.

The seven-metre whale was joined by dolphins and minke whales during its display, seen from a boat by whale watchers.

James Garvey from Rossnowlagh Surf School witnessed the "majestic" animal breaching on Tuesday. He said it was "a phenomenal day" that no-one onboard would forget.

"I don't know the odds of winning the lottery but this was the same thing for a whale lover - a nature lover's lottery win."

Mr Garvey said he chartered a boat with his friend and headed out to witness 10 minke whales and an estimated 500 common and bottlenose dolphins.

Map

"Then the holy grail appeared... I'm still not over it," he told BBC News NI.


"Every time you meet a whale it's just an incredible experience.

"It's breath-taking every time, given their size, but it's just breath-taking anyway, and how curious they are about people.

"It's a pretty rare occurrence that a humpback whale would be spotted in Donegal Bay, but for one to put on an incredible performance just half an hour from Rossnowlagh is just unbelievable.

"We saw a huge array of whale behaviour including four huge breaches, bubble-netting and fluke-slapping."

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Bubble-netting is how whales sometimes feed on the surface.

The whale was identified from pictures of its fluke, or tail fin, as #HBIRL24.

He is something of a celebrity in whale-watching circles, having been documented more than 45 times in the past 11 years.

He is believed to have been first spotted as a calf with his mother in 2013.

In previous years, humpback whales have been spotted off the coasts of Cork and Kerry in south-western Ireland

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) said it had recorded 11 validated sightings of humpbacks since the start of June 2023 in Donegal Bay and Broadhaven in Mayo.

But none of those have been in the traditional hotspots of West Cork and Kerry.

The group said a "complete shift" had been observed in recent weeks, from the Irish south west to the north west - the first time that has happened this century.

The group said more and more species of whales and dolphins were being recorded in Irish waters.

Pádraig Whooley, IWDG's sightings officer, said climate change and increasing sea surface temperatures may well be impacting the location the fish on which these predators feed - such as sand eels, sprat and herring.

"Those animals do tend to have a preference for colder waters so, of course, the predators are going to follow them," said Mr Whooley.
Whitehead whale

A humpback whale was also spotted last week by people on a dive charter vessel from Whitehead.

The sighting has been validated by the IWDG as the first in that area for four years, and the group said it was only a matter of time before larger marine animals like humpback whales were seen more regularly around Ireland.

"This is a pioneering species, looking for more rich feeding areas," said Mr Whooley.

"This shows their range is expanding."

Any sightings of whales, dolphins and other species can be reported by members of the public on the IWDG website.

Any sightings of whales, dolphins and other species can be reported by members of the public on the IWDG website.