Page 61 - Guerin Media | Cork Airport Holiday & Destination Guide 2015
P. 61
splashes associated with animals from that of wind
driven spray and deteriorating weather conditions
sometimes curtail activities during the autumn months
for even the most ardent cetacean enthusiast.
Why do we see whales and dolphins off the Gannet © Natureimmortal
Irish coast and what are they doing? Two things
are important to whales and dolphins. The ability to What to do if you see whales or dolphins -
find a mate and food. Whale and dolphin species that Baltimore Whale and Dolphin Watch (BWDW) have a
frequent the Irish coast are coming in to feed. The sightings hotline 087 116 7960 to which you can text
variation in the numbers of animals recorded between or call any sightings. Messages can also be received on
the years suggests they are responding to variations in our Facebook page
concentration of food species like sprat and
herring. Traditional thinking is that the larger species www.facebook.com/baltimorewhaleanddolphinwatch
like fin and humpback are part of a general
north - south movement of animals that have been ********************************************************************
feeding in the north Atlantic during the summer
months; prior to moving closer to warmer Nic Slocum is a professional whale
equatorial or mid Atlantic waters to calve and mate watcher. He runs Whale Watch West
during the winter months. They are thought to be Cork and Whales Worldwide which
using the opportunity to feed on herring shoals prolific takes customers out to view and
along the northern borders of the Celtic Sea during photograph whales and dolphins both
the autumn. Although this may reflect movements of here in Ireland and overseas. A
breeding adults contemporary thinking is that many of founder member of Whale Watch
the animals seen are sub adult non breeding animals International Nic is a recipient of
that form part of a small population that are resident awards from The Responsible Whale Watching Partnership (2013) and
in the north Atlantic adjacent to Ireland over the Celtic The Irish Centre for Responsible Tourism (2015). Nic is a joint founder
Deep and Porcupine Bank. They may number no more of Baltimore Whale and Dolphin Watch, a group dedicated to
than 200-300 animals. promoting responsible whale and dolphin watching within both
commercial and recreational boat users and listing up to date cetacean
Challenges faced by whales and dolphins off the sightings to it’s many followers.
Irish coastline - All marine mammals are protected
in Irish waters but when they come into coastal waters
to feed it brings them into contact with the activities
of man. Direct challenges these animals face include
entanglement in static and pelagic fishing gear,
disturbance from commercial and recreational craft,
over fishing, excessive coastal development, oil
exploration and sea bed mapping. All these issues pose
a significant threat to both large and small cetaceans
either directly or through the impact on their prey
species. These are worldwide issues but no less
important around Ireland’s coastlines. Many species
have had their numbers reduced by commercial
whaling and are struggling to recover. Two nations in
the north Atlantic continue to hunt whales
commercially. Iceland continues to kill the endangered
fin whale and Norway has the dubious distinction of
being the nation that will kill more whales in 2015
than any other nation on earth. As yet we do not know
what the full impact of climate change and oceanic
acidification will be on the world’s whale and dolphin
populations - the greatest impact will likely be through
the fish and krill species they feed on.
61
driven spray and deteriorating weather conditions
sometimes curtail activities during the autumn months
for even the most ardent cetacean enthusiast.
Why do we see whales and dolphins off the Gannet © Natureimmortal
Irish coast and what are they doing? Two things
are important to whales and dolphins. The ability to What to do if you see whales or dolphins -
find a mate and food. Whale and dolphin species that Baltimore Whale and Dolphin Watch (BWDW) have a
frequent the Irish coast are coming in to feed. The sightings hotline 087 116 7960 to which you can text
variation in the numbers of animals recorded between or call any sightings. Messages can also be received on
the years suggests they are responding to variations in our Facebook page
concentration of food species like sprat and
herring. Traditional thinking is that the larger species www.facebook.com/baltimorewhaleanddolphinwatch
like fin and humpback are part of a general
north - south movement of animals that have been ********************************************************************
feeding in the north Atlantic during the summer
months; prior to moving closer to warmer Nic Slocum is a professional whale
equatorial or mid Atlantic waters to calve and mate watcher. He runs Whale Watch West
during the winter months. They are thought to be Cork and Whales Worldwide which
using the opportunity to feed on herring shoals prolific takes customers out to view and
along the northern borders of the Celtic Sea during photograph whales and dolphins both
the autumn. Although this may reflect movements of here in Ireland and overseas. A
breeding adults contemporary thinking is that many of founder member of Whale Watch
the animals seen are sub adult non breeding animals International Nic is a recipient of
that form part of a small population that are resident awards from The Responsible Whale Watching Partnership (2013) and
in the north Atlantic adjacent to Ireland over the Celtic The Irish Centre for Responsible Tourism (2015). Nic is a joint founder
Deep and Porcupine Bank. They may number no more of Baltimore Whale and Dolphin Watch, a group dedicated to
than 200-300 animals. promoting responsible whale and dolphin watching within both
commercial and recreational boat users and listing up to date cetacean
Challenges faced by whales and dolphins off the sightings to it’s many followers.
Irish coastline - All marine mammals are protected
in Irish waters but when they come into coastal waters
to feed it brings them into contact with the activities
of man. Direct challenges these animals face include
entanglement in static and pelagic fishing gear,
disturbance from commercial and recreational craft,
over fishing, excessive coastal development, oil
exploration and sea bed mapping. All these issues pose
a significant threat to both large and small cetaceans
either directly or through the impact on their prey
species. These are worldwide issues but no less
important around Ireland’s coastlines. Many species
have had their numbers reduced by commercial
whaling and are struggling to recover. Two nations in
the north Atlantic continue to hunt whales
commercially. Iceland continues to kill the endangered
fin whale and Norway has the dubious distinction of
being the nation that will kill more whales in 2015
than any other nation on earth. As yet we do not know
what the full impact of climate change and oceanic
acidification will be on the world’s whale and dolphin
populations - the greatest impact will likely be through
the fish and krill species they feed on.
61
