The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has expressed concern at the possibility of what it describes as a "significant bycatch" of dolphins in Irish waters by foreign fishing vessels.Autopsy results on five of a group of 13 common dolphins that washed up dead in Co. Mayo in late January have confirmed that the animals died through injuries consistent with entanglement in … [Read more...] about IWDG expresses concern over dolphin by-catch
stranding
Mass stranding of dead dolphins in Mayo
A report from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has confirmed that eight (8) dead common dolphins Delphinus delphis have been discovered washed up on the beaches of Achill Island, Co. Mayo over recent days, with unconfirmed reports of at least another one dolphin on a nearby island."The IWDG don't have full details to hand as yet but photos sent to us by local people show … [Read more...] about Mass stranding of dead dolphins in Mayo
Baltimore whale stranding: a good news story?
I was getting settled at my desk yesterday morning, pondering what to write for my Irish Independent wildlife column, when the phone beeped. It was a message from Padraig Whooley, sightings coordinator with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, telling me that a suspected fin whale had live-stranded in Baltimore, West Cork. He'd be passing my house in a quarter of an hour if I … [Read more...] about Baltimore whale stranding: a good news story?
Fin whale stranding in Baltimore
A fin whale live stranded in Baltimore, West Cork this morning. The whale, an adult estimated to be between 45-50 foot long, was spotted in the harbour by locals early this morning.It live stranded in shallow water between the pantoon and the pier. By mid morning the whale had attracted a sizeable crowd and the Irish Whale an Dolphin Group (IWDG), National Parks and … [Read more...] about Fin whale stranding in Baltimore
Stranding: learning from the death of a harbour porpoise
It was Sunday morning, and it was raining. Not just any kind of rain... it was that sneaky, endemically Irish drizzle that saturates you before you realise you’re getting wet. It was misery incarnate. Miserable or not, we had a job to do. I grabbed the gear, threw it in the car and off we went. We only had a quarter of an hour drive to the small inlet on the West Cork coast. … [Read more...] about Stranding: learning from the death of a harbour porpoise
