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Displaying items by tag: Excursion trips

Operator Dublin Bay Cruises excursion vessel St. Bridget has completed an annual overhaul at Howth Boatyard and returned to the capital’s Grand Canal Dock this morning in preparation for the forthcoming season, writes Jehan Ashmore.

St. Bridget was observed off the Baily Lighthouse, on the Howth Peninsula, where the feature is one of many prominent coastal landmarks that line the beautiful expanse of Dublin Bay. The operator of boat trips and cruises is to resume service on the day preceding St. Patricks Day which this year falls on a Sunday.

In addition to made-made structures, there are wonderful opportunities to take in the marine life-life based on seven excursions, with embarkation available from Dublin City Centre, Dun Laoghaire Harbour and Howth Harbour. There are also tours from Howth around Ireland’s Eye, and from Dun Laoghaire circling Dalkey Island and into Killiney Bay along with the backdrop of the Wicklow mountains.

In the meantime, this morning the St. Bridget arrived to Dublin Port which involved the busy scene of shipping activity, before the 26m vessel reached the Tom Clarke (East Link) Toll-Bridge. At that stage, the bridge's opening-span of 45m was raised to enable the vessel to transit through into the Dublin ‘Docklands’ stretch of the River Liffey.

No sooner had St. Bridget passed under the bridge, the vessel turned into the nearby loch gate (Ringsend Gut) of the Grand Canal Dock basin on the south side of the city. This is where the vessel routinely occupies a berth during the winter months, however it won’t be long before its’ role will see excursionists embark in eagerness to take in the wonderful sights of the capital’s distinctive horse-shoe shaped bay.

Published in Dublin Bay

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!