Filming humpback whales off Ireland's south coast with Cork Whale Watch
Colin Barnes of Cork Whale Watch is regularly asked to collaborate on both Irish and UK natural history productions. This extract is from Living the Wildlife, Series II, episode 3, presented by Colin Stafford Johnson, and aired on RTE in 2009.
To book your trip out with Colin Barnes off Ireland's South Coast visit the Cork Whale Watch Website on corkwhalewatch.com or join us on Facebook at www,facebook.com/corkwhalewatch.
Filming was carried out using the MV Holly Jo along the Cork coast, extending into Co. Waterford. It was a long way from our home port in West Cork, but these are the lengths we have to be prepared to go to in order to capture the best film footage.
This programme showcased the conservation research of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group iwdg.ie which includes both Photo- Identification studies and acoustic monitoring of the humpback and fin whales along the Irish South coast.
Ireland Baltimore West Cork Whale and Dolphin Boat Trip
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Humpback Whale Feeding off Union Hall, Ireland - Sept 2015
Took this awesome video of a whale feeding off Union Hall, Cork about a week ago when visiting my girlfriends Aunt and Uncle who live nearby.
We, by chance, chose the most awesome day ever as it was calm and so sunny we all had to wear hats to ward off sunburn. We watched this gentle giant for over an hour hunting by means of bubble curtains, which was fascinating...one of the curtains came so close to our boat, the skipper had to move off to ensure he wasn't too close!
We were told that when doing this, the whale can take upwards of 5 to 8 tons of water in, then strain it to take out the yummy fishies. Sprat and Herring mainly, which we could actually see in the water trying to escape, it was so clear!
Near the end, another whale joined us but he wasn't au fait with the other hunting method so chose to lunge instead. We also saw Dolphins, Porpoises and Tuna. Yes, Tuna.
Awesome to watch, well worth every penny and I would heartily recommend the gent, Colin Barnes of Cork Whale Watch, who can be found at corkwhalewatch.com and deserves your money for the enthusiastic, informative trip (if you think I'm bigging it up for laughs, the reviews on TripAdvisor speak for themselves). Thanks Colin!
Union Hall, West Cork
Aerial footage of Unionhall, West Cork.
Union Hall is a small fishing village located in County Cork, Ireland, located on the west side of Glandore Harbour. Its nearest neighbour to the west is Castletownshend; to the east, Glandore Village. It is approximately 10 kilometers east of Skibbereen. The main source of employment is fishing and the pier has its own ice plant and fish processing factory.
Among its many tourist attractions are boat trips to view whales, dolphins and seals. Seals can be seen all year round, with dolphins and Fin Whales, Minke Whales and Humpback Whales present in summer months.
Whale Watching West Cork Ireland
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Whale watching West Cork Ireland
A humpback whale comes alongside the boat then flips his tail clear out of the water ! Amazing
Union Hall, County Cork, Ireland. Misty morning over Glandore Harbour
The beautiful misty morning of 19th May 2014 looking over Glandore Harbour from the waterfront at Union Hall, Co. Cork, Ireland
Whale Watching in West Cork
Short beaked Dolphins off West Cork September 2010.
First ever drone footage of a fin whale in west Cork- FlukeFollow Project October 2018
The FlukeFollow Project aims to monitor whales along the south coast of Ireland using the latest technological advancements, including the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. This footage was captured in the waters of west Cork on-board the Holly Jo of Cork Whale Watch by a a member of our research team, professional drone photographer, Greg Coleman. Drones can help to revolutionise what we know about whales in Irish waters and we are very excited to have the help of eco-tour operators and drone operators all around the country. If you would like to know more or become a sponsor visit our website orcireland.ie.
Humpback Whale Lob-tailing, West Cork, Ireland
Humpback whale (HBIRL20) lob-tailing off Castlehaven, Co.Cork on 7 April 2012. Filmed during a research charter on board Holly Jo (
Whale & Dolphin Watching on the Wild Atlantic Way West Cork
Common Dolphins and Minke whales feeding together on the Wild Atlantic Way off Baltimore in West Cork. We at Baltimore Sea Safari operate responsible whale, dolphin, seal and wildlife watching boat trips, departing daily from the ferry pier in Baltimore, Ireland. Baltimore is the whale watching capital of West Cork.
Dolphin and whale watching in West Cork
Search for five missing fishermen at Union Hall, Co Cork.
A search is underway for five missing fishermen at Union Hall, Co Cork.The trawler Bonhomme struck rocks on its way into the harbour in the early hours of Sunday morning, One of the crew was rescued and brought to the Cork University Hospital.
Best whale watching in West Cork, Ireland - Baltimore Sea Safari
Footage from a Baltimore Sea Safari boat trip of Fin whales lunge feeding off Baltimore, West Cork on the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. Fin whales are the 2nd largest mammal on the planet, and are usually seen in waters off Baltimore in West Cork from late August. Baltimore Sea Safari offer daily coastal sightseeing boat trips from Baltimore with whale, dolphin, seal and wildlife watching.
Emily's trip watching Dolphins . Ireland west cork
Harrington Farm in Union Hall, County Cork, Ireland
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Whale Watching West Cork - 16 November 2008
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. The Irish government declared the coastal waters of Ireland a whale and dolphin sanctuary during the early 1990's. 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 country. Coastal waters off the southwest of Ireland are a summer feeding ground for a number of whale species and a year round home for several resident dolphin species including the Harbour Porpoise. Baleen Whales commonly seen off the south coast include Fin Whales and Minke Whales, which makes whale watching in Ireland some of the best whale watching in Europe. Humpback whales are also seen off the southwest coast. These large marine mammals feed in Irish waters for over seven months of the year on a variety of small shoaling fish and may be seen just a few kilometers offshore.
Irish Whale Watching
To date 24 species of the world's whales and dolphins have been recorded in Irish waters. In recent years over 12 cetacean species have been seen in the clear, unpolluted West Cork waters making them one of the richest areas for whale and dolphin watching in Ireland. Irish whale watching has definitely taken off in West Cork with wide species diversity present for over half the year. Minke Whales arrive off our coast starting in March. Fin Whales traditionally arrive in the late summer/early autumn. Both species continue through to the early winter months, providing some spectacular opportunities to view these large marine mammals only a few kilometers from the coast if the sea conditions are suitable. The less predictable Humpback Whales traditionally arrive during autumn months. Other species that may be seen off West Cork are listed below. Whale Watch West Cork is acutely aware of the benefits that whale watching can bring to coastal communities when conducted according to a strict code of conduct and is committed to the sustainable development of Irish whale watching whilst maximizing the educational advantages to the public but above all, ensuring the positive impact on the conservation status of the whales and dolphins of Ireland.
Summary Schedule
March to May - Risso's Dolphins
March to November - Minke Whales
April to July - Basking Sharks
July to August - Atlantic Sunfish
August to December - Common Dolphins
September to December - Fin Whales
November to January - Humpback Whales
Other species of dolphins like the Atlantic white sided, the white beaked, the long finned pilot whale and the killer whale are seen less frequently.
Please remember that these timings can vary year on year as these animals are wild and free living and we cannot always predict or influence their migration patterns or feeding behaviour and sometimes they are not present in the areas we would expect them to be in. This means that it is possible to go out and not see whales or dolphins.
Whale Watching in West Cork Ireland
Although sightings of these large Baleen Whales is the highpoint of any whale watching in West Cork we must not loose sight of the fact that West Cork plays host to resident populations of Common Dolphins and Harbour Porpoises which may be present in considerable numbers as they move inshore during the summer months. In addition, there are frequent sightings of other dolphin species at different times throughout the year including Bottlenose Dolphins and Risso's Dolphins. There are some opportunistic sightings of Killer Whales (Orca), Long-finned Pilot Whales, White Beaked Dolphins and Atlantic White Sided Dolphins. Other marine mammals in Ireland that are regularly sighted on our wildlife boat tours include Seals. Seals in Ireland comprise the two species, the Atlantic Grey Seal and the Common Seal. More about Seals in Ireland.
Whales off West Cork - 14 Sept 2007
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. The Irish government declared the coastal waters of Ireland a whale and dolphin sanctuary during the early 1990's. 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 country. Coastal waters off the southwest of Ireland are a summer feeding ground for a number of whale species and a year round home for several resident dolphin species including the Harbour Porpoise. Baleen Whales commonly seen off the south coast include Fin Whales and Minke Whales, which makes whale watching in Ireland some of the best whale watching in Europe. Humpback whales are also seen off the southwest coast. These large marine mammals feed in Irish waters for over seven months of the year on a variety of small shoaling fish and may be seen just a few kilometers offshore.
Irish Whale Watching
To date 24 species of the world's whales and dolphins have been recorded in Irish waters. In recent years over 12 cetacean species have been seen in the clear, unpolluted West Cork waters making them one of the richest areas for whale and dolphin watching in Ireland. Irish whale watching has definitely taken off in West Cork with wide species diversity present for over half the year. Minke Whales arrive off our coast starting in March. Fin Whales traditionally arrive in the late summer/early autumn. Both species continue through to the early winter months, providing some spectacular opportunities to view these large marine mammals only a few kilometers from the coast if the sea conditions are suitable. The less predictable Humpback Whales traditionally arrive during autumn months. Other species that may be seen off West Cork are listed below. Whale Watch West Cork is acutely aware of the benefits that whale watching can bring to coastal communities when conducted according to a strict code of conduct and is committed to the sustainable development of Irish whale watching whilst maximizing the educational advantages to the public but above all, ensuring the positive impact on the conservation status of the whales and dolphins of Ireland.
HUMPBACK WHALES -IRELAND- DINGLE Sept 15th 2016
Humpback Whales filmed off the coast of Dingle Co Kerry Ireland. All I had to do was press record!! The real skill was thanks to Nick Masset who we were privileged enough to go out with. He has been studying and documenting the humpback whales off the Dingle peninsula for the last ten years through land based watches and photo id by rib. We saw 4 Animals bubble net feeding and Nick managed to ID several Whales. What a trip!! Thank you Nick. Produced with CyberLink PowerDirector 13.
To find out more about issues faced by Whales & Dolphins check out Marine Connection