Gardai in West Cork are investigating the theft of €4,000 worth of specialist electronic equipment from the West Cork charter boat skipper Rory Jackson at Reen Pier near Union Hall. He runs West Cork Ocean Tours with his boat 'Kerry Head' for whale and dolphin watching and angling. His photos and videos of whales, dolphins and the seas around West Cork are well-known.
On Sunday while tidying-up the boat after a trip: "I'd always leave the bag on the pier behind some lobster boats when I am getting the boat secure. You don't want to be carrying expensive gear when you are doing that. It took my usual 10 minutes. When I went back to get the camera bag, it was gone."
Specialist equipment, including lenses, a GoPro video camera, and a hydrophone for recording sound underwater, was in the bag.
Details of what has been taken have been posted to social media sites. Rory is "hoping that somebody might have seen something in or around Reen Pier on Sunday evening or might spot attempts to sell the equipment. It has been a quiet season with not the best of weather, and the equipment is a big part of my business. I'm really gutted."
