We provide whale watching and dolphin watching tours in courtmacsherry, west cork, ireland. Whale watching is becoming more and more popular in west cork as seas off baltimore are home to a fascinating variety of marine animals and birds whale watching can bring you face to face with some of the largest animals on earth. Filming humpback whales off irelands south coast with cork whale watch. Mar 31, 2017 episode 3 of wild west cork looks at humpback whales and discusses the photographic techniques used to capture great shots of these amazing marine mammals. You are permitted to print and download extracts from this site provided they are not edited in. Winter whale watching in west cork good food ireland. You are permitted to print and download extracts from this site provided they are not. This video of whales and dolphins socalising in west cork is the best things that ive watched in a long long time. Humpback whales feeding massive pods of dolphins off. Our experienced, professional skippers know the best locations in west cork for whale and dolphin watching.
Whale watching west cork west cork whale watching tours. Nonprofit organization based in cork, ireland, working for the protection and sustainable management of marine megafauna in irish. As one of west cork s leading whale and dolphin watching operations, whale watch west cork is committed to an accreditation protocol, which dictates that all boat operators should be properly trained to conduct marine wildlife tours in order to maximize the opportunities for customers. Nic slocum divides his time between west cork, ireland and other iconic whale watching destinations around the world. Read the whale cork whale watch blog or follow us on facebook for the latest news on whale and dolphin trips and sightings from the holly jo, whale watching in west cork, cetacean conservation and. Cork is legendary for its whale watching voyages and few do it better than nic slocum from whale watch west cork. Wild west cork is a series of films produced by cojo films looking at the marine wildlife in the west cork coastline. Humpback whales are regular visitors to the waters off west cork. Whale watching in ireland irish whale watching west kerry ireland. It is fast and stable and has all round excellent visibility, ideal for wildlife watching tours. Colin barnes is irelands longest established and best known whale watch operator, and has been enthralling whale watchers and wildlife enthusiasts in west cork since 2001. Dolphin and whale watching for two in west cork watch playful whales and dolphins in west cork in their natural marine environment. Book whale watching tours in west cork or view our competitive pricing on individual, family or group whale and dolphin watching tours in west cork.
Whale watching west cork, west cork whale watching tours. Additional local guidelines are also operated on a voluntary basis by operators in west cork, the shannon estuary, and county clare. West cork, on the irish south coast attracts minke whales, fin whales, and humpback whales to feed in its rich waters every year. Whale watch west cork baltimore 2020 all you need to know.
The mammals, from a 30foot male to a young 15foot female, were first. Whale watching with nic and west whale and dolphin tours. Cork whale watch union hall 2020 all you need to know. Fin whales off galley head in west cork, december 2008. Whale watch west cork boat tour agency baltimore, ireland. West cork truly is an idyllic part of ireland, with its own balmy microclimate that enables bright pink and blue hydrangeras, orange montbretia and its signature red fuchsia to thrive and line the roads, all around and about the largest county in ireland. A killer whale attacking a group of dolphins was witnessed by a charter boat operator off the coast of west cork in what experts say is a very rare event in irish waters. Voyager is a wellequipped, twinengine catamaran, built specifically for whale and dolphin watching tours off west cork and is licensed to carry 12 passengers and 2 crew by the department of transport marine.
Ask any local living between kinsale and the beara, sheeps head and mizen head peninsulas where theyre from, and theyll answer west cork never. Spy hopping humpback whale megaptera novaeangliae in the waters off west cork. Micheal cottrel, owner of baltimore sea safari confirmed the humpback sighting, and photographs obtained by irish whale and dolphin group iwdg members simon duggan and youen yacob allowed the iwdg to confirm the young animal as a brand new addition to the irish humpback whale. Fundraiser for irish whale and dolphin group by simon berrow. Baltimore sea safari operate whale and dolphin watching as part of our 2. Dolphin and whale watching in west cork golden moments. West cork whale watchers are being treated to large gatherings during low season whale activity has increased since april with a number of humpback whales spotted off the west cork coast.
May 20, 2018 the humpback whale is one of the most spectacular of the great aquatic mammals and west cork is one of the lucky areas where you might catch a glimpse of the impressive whale. It is the largest county in ireland by land area, and the largest of munsters six counties by population and area. Killer whales attract huge attention in cork harbour. Humpback whales get friendly with paddleboarders in cork. Whale and dolphin watching aboard voyager and liscannor star along the spectacular coast of southwest ireland and around the islands of roaringwater bay with marine zoologist nic slocum and one of west cork s most experienced wildlife skippers, brendan collins. West cork whale watchers are being treated to large.
Responsible tourism award winner whale watch west cork runs responsible whale and dolphin watching tours led by zoologist and conservationist dr nic slocum. Observe fin whales, humpback whales, minke whales common dolphins, basking sharks, harbour porpoise, sunfish and other marine wildlife in stunning scenery. Its phenomenal to have such a concentration of humpback and fin whales feeding in an area thats so accessible to whale watchers. Frequently asked questions about whale watching in west cork. County cork is located in the province of munster, bordering kerry to the west, limerick to the north, tipperary to the northeast and waterford to the east. The first film in the wild west cork series takes a look at the minke whale, a regular visitor to the west cork coastline. According to the website irelands wildlife, the whales. A whale of a time in west cork posted on january 30, 2008 by nt while the greenpeace ship, esperanza, and australian surveillance ships track the japanese whaling fleet in the southern ocean in an effort to stop them killing minke whales and fin whales, they plan to kill 900 minke whales and 50 fin whales by mid april, the whales and. Nic is no stranger to adventure and leading groups to remote places on earth. Episode 3 of wild west cork looks at humpback whales and discusses the photographic techniques used to capture great shots of these amazing marine mammals. Whale watching in west cork may 3, 2011 by calvin jones 6 comments an account of my first ever encounter with fin and humpback whales off the coast of west cork, ireland in november 2004, this article appeared in the uk magazine the countryman cj. Spend four unforgettable hours watching whales and dolphins onboard our vessel at close range.
A group of humpback whales have been spotted feeding and socialising in waters off the coast of west cork. Whale and dolphin watching in west cork whale watching. Filming humpback whales off irelands south coast with. The whale watching off west cork at the moment is truly world class. May 03, 2011 with worldclass whale watching available off the coast of the irish republic, its an experience thats more accessible than you might think. The boat voyager leaves baltimore harbour daily at 9. Drone footage captures whales swimming off the coast of cork. Common dolphins, as the name suggest, are west cork s most frequently observed cetacean. Some of the species you could see from the deck of the holly jo with cork whale watch. Sep 15, 2017 whale watching with nic and west whale and dolphin tours.
In 1991 the irish government declared all irish territorial waters a whale and dolphin sanctuary. Business more than 40% of employees working longer hours from home, survey finds. Colin barnes of cork whale watch is regularly asked to collaborate on both irish and uk natural history productions. Leading the way in responsible whale and dolphin watching. First 3 humpback whales of the 2018 irish whale watch season off dursey island west cork ireland march 25th 2018 year on year for the last five years it just seems that humpback whales are coming to irish waters earlier in the season march, april, may and also exiting irish waters earlier than in previous seasons september, october obviously in response to the availability of food. Whale watching is one of those activities use the calendar to check trip availability. The first of its kind in europe, this paved the way for whale watching.
Cork whale watch offers wonderful opportunities to observe marine wildlife in west cork. Kerry is the only other county that really competes with cork on the whale watching front. West cork waters are among the best places in europe to see large marine wildlife. Whale watching updates from west cork whale watching in. Get the info on seasonal winter whale watching in ireland from now till december is prime time for whale watching. New humpback whale for ireland spotted off west cork. An account of my first ever encounter with fin and humpback whales off the coast of west cork, ireland in november 2004, this article appeared in the uk magazine the countryman cj. Video of humpback whales in cork is the best thing youll.
A whale and dolphin watching trip for many visitors and wildlife enthusiasts is something that is top of the must do list during any stay in west cork. West cork is now recognised as one of the best places in europe to go whale watching and you get the dolphins thrown in for free. Whale watching in ireland and whale watching in west cork in particular has now reached a high point for whale and dolphin watching enthusiasts the world over. Spy hopping humpback whale in west cork ireland may. Jun 20, 2015 a humpback whale was seen inchydoney beach, near clonakilty in west cork earlier this week, and even got friendly with a paddle boarder. For details of colin barness whale watching trips in west cork check out the website. The irish government declared the coastal waters of ireland a whale and dolphin sanctuary during the early 1990s.
Dec 03, 2012 the boat in the background jerry smyths wave chieftain of aquaventures dive centre in baltimore offers a real sense of scale and if you look closely youll see that all of the whale watchers on the wave chieftain are looking the wrong way. Responsible whale watching great news for whales, and locals. The national guidelines stipulate that passenger vessels offering whale and dolphin watching tours should. The pod of three orca killer whales which attracted thousands of spectators to cork harbour over the past fortnight was believed to be heading back out to atlantic waters yesterday. He is the director of whale watch west cork which runs boat based tours to watch and photograph whales and dolphins off the coast of southwest ireland. In west cork s changeable climate, trying to line up all the factors. First humpback whales 3 of the 2018 irish whale watch. Whale and dolphin watching west cork bellatrix bed and. A whale of a time in west cork ireland vacations with. The humpback whale is one of the most spectacular of the great aquatic mammals and west cork is one of the lucky areas where you might. When we leave courtmacsherry harbour which is a designated sac for birds habitat, we venture either west to the seven heads or east to hole open bay onto the old head of kinsale depending on where our latest sightings have been. Whale watch west corks boat, voyager is a wellequipped, twinengine catamaran, built specifically for whale and dolphin watching tours off west cork and is licensed to carry 12 passengers. Six of the mammals were captured on camera by the irish whale and dolphin group from. A new humpback whale for ireland was spotted just off the coast of west cork yesterday mon 1803.
Whale watching in west cork, ireland with colin barnes cork. Ireland baltimore west cork whale and dolphin boat trip youtube. How to contact whale watch west cork to book a boat tour in ireland. All tours depart from baltimore, harbour, west cork on board voyager daily between april and november sea conditions permitting. Book whale watching west cork dolphin watching tours. Lough ine, lough ine nature reserve west cork holidays. Whale watching holiday to ireland whales worldwide.
Whale watching in west cork with colin barnes whale. Wild west cork episode 3 the humpback whale youtube. Kayaking in west cork and sundays at lough hyne from 11am. Experience the very best of west cork s marine wildlife with skipper colin barnes, irelands foremost whale watch skipper, aboard the. Click the button below and complete the bookingenquiry form for your. The third episode of the series takes a look at the humpback whale, one of the largel rorqual species. Whale watch west cork as with any wildlife watching venture, whales and dolphins can be unpredictable. Multiaward winning whale watch west cork runs responsible whale and dolphin watching tours led by. When the courtmacsherry based atlantic whale and wildlife tours team embarked on their whale watching adventure in april 2018 they couldnt be sure what the year would bring. A minke whale lunges through a densely packed shoal of juvenile herring just off the west cork coast. Jun 11, 2001 three orca killer whales are continuing to attract huge attention in cork harbour. Venue details baltimore west cork west cork holidays. West cork is one of the last bastions of old ireland. Adults can get up to 52ft in length, and up to 79,000lbs.
Whale watching in west cork, ireland with colin barnes. We offer a 3 4 hour whale watching trip from the harbour of courtmacsherry, west cork. The first of its kind in europe, this paved the way for whale watching in ireland to become a prime activity for the many visitors to this. Whale watch west cork baltimore 2020 all you need to. Wild west cork is a series of films, produced by chris oconnor, which highlights some of the the regions extraordinary wildlife and offers an insightful and educational experience under the guidance of marine expert and whale watch operator, dr nic slocum.
Whale watching and marine wildlife tours in west cork aboard the holly jo with irelands most experienced whale watching skipper, colin barnes. All bookings can be made directly with whale watch west cork. Ireland baltimore west cork whale and dolphin boat trip. On a calm day, and if the cetaceans oblige it is possible to spot a variety of whales, dolphins and porpoises that grace the waters around the beara peninsula. She is fast and stable and has all round excellent visibility, ideal for wildlife watching tours. For 2016 this annually recurring cycle was reversed with approx.
As baltimore is located almost 2 hours drive from cork city, many visitors may not have a car available to them so if you wish to arrange a packaged day out with a minibus, lunch and sightseeing please email us from our contact page. Whale watching in ireland irish whale watching west cork ireland. Join colin barnes on a whale watching trip in west cork cork whale watch is irelands longest established whale watch operator and has been enthralling whale watchers and wildlife enthusiasts in west cork since 2001. A short drive or a cheap flight will get you to county cork, and our purpose built whale watching vessel, the holly jo provides the ideal platform for that onceinalifetime experience. Whale watching in ireland irish whale watching west cork. Whale watch west cork baltimore updated april 2020 top. Book whale watching tours in west cork or view our competitive pricing on individual, family or group whale and dolphin watching tours in west cork, ireland. Cork whale watch reen pier, 5 minutes from, union hall, county cork ireland rated 4. Whale watching in west cork ireland baltimore sea safari.
Nearly one third of the worlds known whale, dolphin and porpoise species have been recorded in irish water. When it comes to unique wildlife encounters there are few things as breathtaking and humbling as coming face to face with the worlds largest creatures. The whales and dolphins of west cork a feeding minke whale off west cork photo p. Encounters with humpback whales in west cork wcp staff february, 2020 are you interested in large whales, or curious about their conservation and research into these magnificent mammals that are returning each year to cork s inshore waters. Dolphin and whale watching in west cork watch playful whales and dolphins in west cork in their natural marine environment. Irish whale and dolphin group dedicated to the conservation and better understanding of whales, dolphins and porpoises in irish waters.
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