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Whale Tales in West Cork as IWDG Gather for AGM in Leap

20th March 2023
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group weekend will start with a humpback whale film/ presentation on Friday evening
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group weekend will start with a humpback whale film/ presentation on Friday evening Credit: IWDG

The Centre of Excellence for Climate Action & Sustainability at Myross Wood House in Leap is the location for this year’s WHALE TALES.

West Cork is a good location for the event, which will start on Friday evening and continue throughout the weekend until Sunday, open to both Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) members and the general public.

This annual meeting of the IWDG is an opportunity for all whale (and dolphin) enthusiasts to join us over a weekend to share our appreciation for these charismatic mammals and learn more about the conservation and research work being carried out by the IWDG and others.

This year’s event is being held at CECAS, The Centre of Excellence for Climate Action and Sustainability, the former religious retreat,

The weekend will start with a humpback whale film/ presentation on Friday evening, relevant to anyone living in West Cork who has ever been fortunate enough to see this iconic species. Saturday will be a “Whaley day” of news and stories from IWDG officers and an opportunity to introduce and discuss topics, including offshore renewables and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), with plenty of time for Q&A. More importantly, this is a great opportunity to share your stories and mingle with like-minded folk, passionate about our marine environment and its wildlife.

The weather will dictate activities on Sunday morning, but the options are to hold a land-based whale watch from a local vantage point or deliver a simulated live-stranding exercise on a local beach or at the venue.

The IWDG AGM is on Saturday afternoon at 17:00, open only to current members More information from IWDG on Email: [email protected]

Published in Marine Wildlife
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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!