The trend for increasing sightings of Bottlenose Dolphin around Northern Ireland shows no sign of ending. A group of around 19 were followed north from Larne towards Glenarm on 3rd June (photos taken of this group) with another group of 12 seen on 11th June swimming south from Larne and resighted off Whitehead - the groups have one thing in common, they were heading away from Larne! These inshore movements are often picked up by a number of observers as the dolphins move around our coast - they are big (males up to 4m in length), often given to acrobatic displays and close enough to shore, if conditions are right, for blows to be seen and heard. High resolution shots of dorsal fins can be used to track movements of individuals - for more on this see www.iwdg.ie/iscope/sightings/
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group maintains a validated database of all cetacean sightings reported from around Ireland. The information they gather is invaluable in providing a better understanding of the distribution of cetaceans in Irelands waters, the range of species present and changes in these populations. Submitting sightings is easy and can be done through their website www.iwdg.ie - just follow the link to 'sightings' and 'report a sighting'. Even routine sightings of Harbour Porpoise are welcome - there appears to be a decline in numbers, at least around the Whitehead - Islandmagee area so information is needed from as many localities as possible to see if this is part of a wider trend.
happy spotting
Ian Enlander
IWDG
