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Displaying items by tag: Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary

#MarineWildlife - Wildlife enthusiast Karl Grabe has posted on YouTube video of newborn seal pups rescued by the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary last week.

Named by staff at the sanctuary as Salt, Pepper, Sugar and Cocoa, the four are as cute as buttons - and anyone who visits over the summer can see them or others like them, such as two-week-old Molly who's also featured in the above clip.

Published in Marine Wildlife

#MarineWildlife - The Irish Seal Sanctuary has told Radio Kerry that it is no longer looking for the culprits behind the shocking sea beheadings in Dingle last summer.

As reported on Afloat.ie one year ago, staff at the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary were sickened by the gruesome sight of two baby seal heads nailed to signs outside the facility.

Johnny Woodlock of the Dingle Seal Sanctuary later claimed that the horrific discovery was part of a "swing in activity in recent months" where dead seals were found on beaches around the country with "apparent gunshot wounds".

However, the founder of the Irish Seal Sanctuary has said that the group is no longer actively seeking the perpetrators of the barbaric Dingle incident.

"It's not a high priority for me any longer," said Brendan Price of the Irish Seal Sanctuary, who added that rewards for information are "posted from time to time when incidents like this have occurred".

Price continued: "I wouldn't be looking for some kind of public atonement. I don't think it's helpful to keep rewards up any longer, and I'm sure that it will not happen again."

Published in Marine Wildlife
#MARINE WILDLIFE - Seal pups Rebecca and Emma had a curious audience of tourists at Malahide Castle earlier this month as they prepared for their relocation to Dingle, where they will be cared for by Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) volunteers.
The pups were rescued from different parts of north Dublin. Both were found very ill at the time, but according to the ISS, volunteers rallied to their support, providing much needed fluids for rehydration before their long journey south.
Rebecca is named after the daughter of her rescuer, ISS volunteer and Howth businessman Jon Cooke. Meanwhile, Emma was rescued by one of the founder members of the ISS, Johnny Woodlock, from the beach in Skerries.
The ISS added that it is grateful for the sponsorship of the rehab season the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary is providing for the seal pups' care.

#MARINE WILDLIFE - Seal pups Rebecca and Emma had a curious audience of tourists at Malahide Castle earlier this month as they prepared for their relocation to Dingle, where they will be cared for by Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) volunteers.

The pups were rescued from different parts of north Dublin. Both were found very ill at the time, but according to the ISS, volunteers rallied to their support, providing much needed fluids for rehydration before their long journey south.

Rebecca is named after the daughter of her rescuer, ISS volunteer and Howth businessman Jon Cooke. Meanwhile, Emma was rescued by one of the founder members of the ISS, Johnny Woodlock, from the beach in Skerries.

The ISS added that it is grateful for the sponsorship of the rehab season the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary is providing for the seal pups' care.

Published in Marine Wildlife
The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) is gearing up for three seal releases this coming weekend.
On Saturday 5 February ISS volunteers in tandem with the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary will release Rupert and Rosie back into the wild at Beal Ban Beach in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry.
The two grey seal pups were rescued from the Dun Chaoin area last November within days of each other, the male pup with several injuries. Both now rehabilitated, it's expected they will rejoin the grey seal colony just off the Dingle Peninsula.
Then on Sunday 6 February the ISS will release another grey seal pup, Mary, from Kilpatrick Beach in Castletown, Co Wexford.
For more details on these releases visit www.irishsealsanctuary.ie

The Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) is gearing up for three seal releases this coming weekend.

On Saturday 5 February ISS volunteers in tandem with the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary will release Rupert and Rosie back into the wild at Beal Ban Beach in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry.

The two grey seal pups were rescued from the Dun Chaoin area last November within days of each other, the male pup with several injuries. Both now rehabilitated, it's expected they will rejoin the grey seal colony just off the Dingle Peninsula.

Then on Sunday 6 February the ISS will release another grey seal pup, Mary, from Kilpatrick Beach in Castletown, Co Wexford.

For more details on these releases visit www.irishsealsanctuary.ie

Published in Marine Wildlife
The Irish Seal Sanctuary celebrated the release of six grey seal pups from two different locations last weekend.
Dustin, Phoenix and Sean were released from Courtown Harbour, while Buddy Holly, Louise and Cookie were put into the water in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry with help from the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary.
Sarah Forde, a volunteer at the Dingle sanctuary, told the Irish Independent that Buddy Holly was just 11kg in weight when he was brought in last October.
"Now, three months later, he's a healthy 44kg, the proper weight for a pup his age and in the next two years as he reaches maturity he'll grow to around 300kg," she said.
Louise and Cookie (pictured HERE) were found in a similar condition in beaches in Co Kerry after being abandoned by their mothers.
The Irish Seal Sanctuary's next release will be this Saturday 15 January when Cecil and Snowy, two seal pups rescued in Belmullet and rehabilitated at the sanctuary in Courtown, will be returned to the wild at Falmor Beach, Black Sod, Co Mayo.

The Irish Seal Sanctuary celebrated the release of six grey seal pups from two different locations last weekend.

Dustin, Phoenix and Sean were released from Courtown Harbour, while Buddy Holly, Louise and Cookie were put into the water in Ballyferriter, Co Kerry with help from the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary.

Sarah Forde, a volunteer at the Dingle sanctuary, told the Irish Independent that Buddy Holly was just 11kg in weight when he was brought in last October.

"Now, three months later, he's a healthy 44kg, the proper weight for a pup his age and in the next two years as he reaches maturity he'll grow to around 300kg," she said.

Louise and Cookie (pictured HERE) were found in a similar condition in beaches in Co Kerry after being abandoned by their mothers.

The Irish Seal Sanctuary's next release will be this Saturday 15 January when Cecil and Snowy, two seal pups rescued in Belmullet and rehabilitated at the sanctuary in Courtown, will be returned to the wild at Falmor Beach, Black Sod, Co Mayo.

Published in Marine Wildlife

Ferry & Car Ferry News The ferry industry on the Irish Sea, is just like any other sector of the shipping industry, in that it is made up of a myriad of ship operators, owners, managers, charterers all contributing to providing a network of routes carried out by a variety of ships designed for different albeit similar purposes.

All this ferry activity involves conventional ferry tonnage, 'ro-pax', where the vessel's primary design is to carry more freight capacity rather than passengers. This is in some cases though, is in complete variance to the fast ferry craft where they carry many more passengers and charging a premium.

In reporting the ferry scene, we examine the constantly changing trends of this sector, as rival ferry operators are competing in an intensive environment, battling out for market share following the fallout of the economic crisis. All this has consequences some immediately felt, while at times, the effects can be drawn out over time, leading to the expense of others, through reduced competition or takeover or even face complete removal from the marketplace, as witnessed in recent years.

Arising from these challenging times, there are of course winners and losers, as exemplified in the trend to run high-speed ferry craft only during the peak-season summer months and on shorter distance routes. In addition, where fastcraft had once dominated the ferry scene, during the heady days from the mid-90's onwards, they have been replaced by recent newcomers in the form of the 'fast ferry' and with increased levels of luxury, yet seeming to form as a cost-effective alternative.

Irish Sea Ferry Routes

Irrespective of the type of vessel deployed on Irish Sea routes (between 2-9 hours), it is the ferry companies that keep the wheels of industry moving as freight vehicles literally (roll-on and roll-off) ships coupled with motoring tourists and the humble 'foot' passenger transported 363 days a year.

As such the exclusive freight-only operators provide important trading routes between Ireland and the UK, where the freight haulage customer is 'king' to generating year-round revenue to the ferry operator. However, custom built tonnage entering service in recent years has exceeded the level of capacity of the Irish Sea in certain quarters of the freight market.

A prime example of the necessity for trade in which we consumers often expect daily, though arguably question how it reached our shores, is the delivery of just in time perishable products to fill our supermarket shelves.

A visual manifestation of this is the arrival every morning and evening into our main ports, where a combination of ferries, ro-pax vessels and fast-craft all descend at the same time. In essence this a marine version to our road-based rush hour traffic going in and out along the commuter belts.

Across the Celtic Sea, the ferry scene coverage is also about those overnight direct ferry routes from Ireland connecting the north-western French ports in Brittany and Normandy.

Due to the seasonality of these routes to Europe, the ferry scene may be in the majority running between February to November, however by no means does this lessen operator competition.

Noting there have been plans over the years to run a direct Irish –Iberian ferry service, which would open up existing and develop new freight markets. Should a direct service open, it would bring new opportunities also for holidaymakers, where Spain is the most visited country in the EU visited by Irish holidaymakers ... heading for the sun!