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Displaying items by tag: Prowlers

#Surfing - The Irish Times was on hand earlier this week to capture six daring surfers' excursion to the secret swell spot known as Prowlers.

Big Wave Award contender Kurt Rist was among the group who had waited three years for the return of the rare surf phenomenon off Mullaghmore Head in Co Sligo, which is only accessible to the hardiest waveriders by Jet Ski tow-in.

Discovered in 2006, Prowlers was only captured on camera for the first time in late 2010 - and videoed again this past Monday 3 March as Rist and company took up the challenge. The Irish Times has more HERE.

Speaking of rare waves, Red Bull recently highlighted some never-before-seen snaps by student Christian McLeod of Rist and others surfing nearby west coast slab The Unfound.

And MagicSeaweed has also celebrated the 'grit and guts' of the Mullaghmore regulars, particularly this stunning display by Newquay surfer Tom Butler (beware the NSFW audio):

Tom's Bomb by Peter Conroy from MSW on Vimeo.

Further afield, Ireland can hail the exploits of Lahinch resident and 'adopted Clareman' Tom Lowe, who last month became the first European to surf Mexico's notorious Killers, according to the Irish Examiner. Check out the video evidence:

Published in Surfing
Tagged under
Two new videos posted online offer a fasincating insight into the impressive and mysterious west coast big wave spot known as Prowlers.
The first includes footage and images from the infamous surf session from last November that put the wave on the map:
The second video, in stunning high definition, shows Al Mennie and Andrew Cotton paddling in to take on the incredible surf:

Two new videos posted online offer a fasincating insight into the impressive and mysterious west coast big wave spot known as Prowlers.

The first includes footage and images from the infamous surf session from last November that put the wave on the map:

The second video, in stunning high definition, shows Al Mennie and Andrew Cotton paddling in to take on the incredible surf:

The precise location of Prowlers is still a closely guarded secret among the big wave surfing community.

Published in Surfing

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!