The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has confirmed that 2026 will be the final season for its research vessel Celtic Mist.
The 17-metre yacht was donated by the Haughey family in 2011. Since 2012, she has surveyed more than 100,000km of Irish inshore and offshore waters.
The vessel has carried out systematic visual surveys for whales, dolphins and porpoises around the Irish coast. The data gathered has informed marine research, conservation and policy.
Celtic Mist has circumnavigated Ireland five times. She also sailed twice to the Isle of Man and the Inner Hebrides in Scotland to connect with research groups.
Rock And Role — The IWDG research yacht Celtic Mist sails past Fastnet Lighthouse off Co Cork during offshore survey work. The vessel will retire in 2026 after more than a decade of marine research Photo: Eoghan Quinn
In 2018, the yacht completed a seven-week expedition to Iceland. She rounded Hornstrandir, Iceland’s northernmost peninsula, entering Arctic waters in search of humpback whales.
Last year, she completed a 3,300km survey with the Fair Seas campaign in support of Marine Protected Area legislation. Over 11 weeks, volunteer crews recorded more than 2,000 individual whales and dolphins from eight species.
Andrew Shine, IWDG Celtic Mist Officer, said the organisation was “sad to see the end of the Celtic Mist’s journey”.
“This wonderful vessel is now 50 years old and the rising cost of maintenance and challenges in finding willing and experienced volunteers means that 2026 will be her last year with us,” he said.
He noted that Grand Canal Basin in Dublin was her winter base for more than a decade. She is now based in Kilrush, Co Clare, and will survey the south and southwest coast for a final season.
Eva Lambert, IWDG Marine Advocacy and Policy Officer, said the vessel was “about far more than numbers and maps”.
“It’s about people working together at sea, learning from the wildlife around them, and turning those experiences into data that genuinely helps protect the places that matter most for whales and dolphins,” she said.
Since 2023, Celtic Mist has completed 30 weeks of research surveys on behalf of Fair Seas.
Fair Seas Campaign Coordinator Dr Dónal Griffin said the experience of living and working onboard was “really special”.
“The social and ecological benefit of people volunteering along our coast is something I know will continue long after the Celtic Mist retires,” he said.
The IWDG will host an event at Poolbeg Yacht Club in Dublin this evening (Friday, February 13) to launch the 2025 survey results and formally announce the vessel’s retirement.
