• ISSUE No 21 : SUMMER 2002 • FREE TO MEMBERS, €2.50 TO NON-MEMBERS THE IRISH

Pilot whales mass strand in Kerry Padraig Whoo/ey mixed feelings. Locals responded brilliantly to the ,massive challenge they faced; If you could choose the timing and '" however, too much time was lost in getting .~ location for a mass stranding "C 'ro that all-important initial phone call out. A event, then you could do a lot Cl. faster alert time would have enabled the worse than pick a Saturday and IWDG, Duchas rangers and the coastguard the sandy beach at Aughacasla in to mount a speedier and more effective Bay, where a group of 30 or 40 response. It was also sad that we lost the long-finned pilot whales (G/obicepha/a chance to learn from the dead animals, me/as) mass-stranded on the sunny but in the absence of best advice and the Saturday morning of 23 March last. misinformation about TB, which had people running to Tralee General Hospital for The tragedy of this sorry tale is not that inoculations, burial seemed the only option. whales stranded, as such events are one of This places an onus on us to redouble our the inherent downsides to being a pilot efforts to advise coastal communities on whale, but that no one informed any best 'live-stranding' practice. relevant agency until 2.00pm, by which It's heartening to compare the response time four crucial hours had been lost. It to this stranding to that of the last mass took a further hour before the Irish stranding of 66 pilot whales at Cloghane a Whale and Dolphin Group was informed few miles to the west in November 1965 and could mobilise local members. when many were promptly dispatched wi~h One of the first to arrive was Kevin knives and shovels and sold to a local mink Flannery, local sea fisheries officer and farmer as meal, after the locals satisfied regional IWDG contact, who worked with themselves that whale-meat, no matter locals to save as many of the stricken how it was cooked, did not agree with the whales as possible. Up to 20 whales were One of the pilot whales stranded in March 2002 Kerry palate. successfully re-f1oated, but a further 17 The IWDG, in collaboration with UCC died on the shore. and the Irish Seal Sanctuary, has requested Kerry County Council buried the dead on rocks at Sandy Bay and, despite best a meeting with Duchas and the with alarming efficiency, no doubt efforts to move her to an adjacent sandy beach, she died during the night. Department of Communications, Marine prompted by a rumour that the whales and Natural Resources to clarify who is could have TB! Unfortunately, the At first light, the IWDG walked the coastline from Tralee Bay to Brandon Point responsible when whales and dolphins opportunity to carry out post-mortem strand on the seashore and to discuss a examinations was lost, and buried with and another dead female was located near . Zoologists from UCC carried workable protocol before another major them was valuable information which incident occurs. could have helped us answer questions on out a post-mortem examination on this animal; it was one that had stranded on the In New Zealand, the Department of the physiology and social structure of this Conservation coordinates the response to little-understood offshore species. rocks the previous evening. Simon Berrow arrived with the IWDG Our sweep of the beaches and waters live-strandings and draws on whale and dolphin volunteer groups to mobilise when rescue pontoons at 5.30pm. By then the revealed that no other mass-stranding had occurred overnight, though a group of five physical assistance is needed to refloat surviving whales were free-swimming stranded animals. The IWDG organised the between Brandon and Tralee Bay, but as pilot whales was observed briefly in Brandon Bay.We did observe a pod of first live-stranding workshop in a long as they remained close to shore there few years ago and has a network of was every chance they would re-strand. 10-12 bottlenose dolphins breaching expertise and people around the Irish coast Towards dusk, a female which had been spectacularly in the same area off Caher willing to offer such assistance at short refloated at least twice already re-stranded Point, but these were certainly in no need of our assistance or interference. notice. Finally, at around 3.00pm, when we thought it was safe to wind down the • For those keen on learning more on this • The Irish Whale & Dolphin operation, news came from Lifeboat subject, copies of the IWDG live-stranding Group (IWDG) is dedicated to Station that the missing group of 10-12 pilot booklet, Face to face with a Beached Whale the conservation and better whales was off Fenit harbour. The Fenit - Guidelines for the Welfare of Live-stranded understanding of cetaceans lifeboat, accompanied by local boats, Cetaceans, are available from the IWDG (whales, dolphins and porpoise) escorted the group some seven miles out (see Contacts, page 8) and Guidelines for in Irish waters through study, before returning to port. the Identification of Stranded Cetaceans is education and interpretation Overall, it was a weekend that left very available on our website: www.iwdg.ie •

• REGISTERED CHARITY No CHY 1I 163

• WEBSITE www.iwdg.ie Corrib gas project will impact on whales, dolphins Shay Fennelly "IWDG would expect a baseline survey to be with Mayo County Council. To date, [WDG has conducted on the appropriate scale, which received no word on this. In April, the Government gave Enterprise would be used to minimise impact, develop While we accept that Enterprise has part• Energy Ireland approval to develop the Corrib mitigation techniques and to monitor during funded a 30-month cetacean survey of the gas field off Co Mayo. This is the first and post -construction, for the life of the field" Porcupine Bank to Rockall area, the results have significant offshore gas or petroleum project This ELAwas subsequently withdrawn after yet to be made public. Since October 2001., since the Kinsale field opened 20 years ago, it was deemed inadequate by consultants Enterprise has contracted UCC to carry out a but it sets a disappointing new precedent for retained by the Department of baseline survey of cetaceans in Broadhaven Bay, what the Government requires from marine Communications, Marine &: Natural Resources. a candidate marine Special Area of Conservation environmental impact assessments. In November 2001, Enterprise issued a revised (SAC) and the site for the pipeline landfall. The Corrib field is expected to produce gas offshore ELAwhich the IWDG commented on That the ELAlegislation is not being enforced is for 15-20 years and is valued at over €2.5 and raised the following issues: highlighted by the fact that this baseline survey billion. Development will begin this summer • The ELAacknowledges that seismic surveys will occur while the pipeline is being laid, rather and will include a new seismic survey, lasting elicit avoidance responses from whales. However, than at least twelve months before construction. 50 days, scheduled for 20 May to 10 July. there was no pre-impact baseline survey carried Surely no work should be carried out until the The IWDG was concerned about potential out prior to seismic surveys or exploration survey in the marine SAC is completed7 impact on cetaceans and sought a baseline drilling. This makes it impossible to assess the This is the biggest Irish offshore project in the survey of the area and an environmental impact effects on whales and dolphins in the area. history of the State, but the procedures adopted assessment (ELA)of the seismic surveys. • No research work has been carried out on to assess the project have been disappointing Seismic surveys and exploration drilling the effects of the numerous seismic surveys and the ELAtotally inadequate. If the commenced in the early 1990s, but only in off Co Mayo from 1992-2001, in spite of Government had commissioned a strategic 1999 was a baseline cetacean &: seabird survey international scientific opinion that seismic marine environmental assessment (SEA) in commissioned. So far, no research has been surveys affect cetaceans, fish and plankton. 1996, best practice could have been learned. commissioned on the impact of seismic • No results from the cetacean survey Quly The Government is still failing to ensure that surveys, known to disturb cetaceans and fish. 1999-August 2000)' The issues are addressed and surveys carried out commissioned by the despite the fact that all oil and gas exploration continental Rockall Studies Group development costs can be wrillen off against tax. shelf edge off oil exploration The monitoring of human impacts on the Co Mayo was consortium were marine environment is being severely neglected. historically a presented with this ELA, The Government agency responsible for most important which precludes any protecting natural heritage, Duchas, is so habitat for whales and interpretation of the under-resourced it has no marine biologist - a information gathered. curious situation when one considers our island dolphins. The Department's status and a marine territory several times the Between 1908• consultants made the land area .• 1923, two following observations *As of May 2002, no repan of this survey has been published. whaling stations on the revised ELA: on the Mullet Broadhaven Bay: site of planned pipeline landfall • The historical signifi- peninsula caught cance of the area for whales is recognised . 894 whales within 95-120km of the coast. fin but the information on the current status of A sense of porpoise whales comprised 66% of the catch, but blue, cetaceans is inadequate. Ruth Leeney sei and sperm whales were also taken. Of the • Reliable baseline figures are required in A new MSc research 24 species of cetaceans recorded in Irish order to assess any potential impact. project aims to provide waters, at least 17 have been recorded off • The potential impacts of noise from drilling much-needed data on the northwest Mayo. operations are adequately covered. However The IWDG made three submissions, to population of harbour the duration, severity and nature of the porpoises in and around Enterprise Energy Ireland, the Department of impacts need to be quantified and qualified. Bay.This will give an idea of Communications, Marine &: Natural Resources whether the porpoises prefer certain and the Department of Arts, Heritage, areas, how they use these areas, how and the Islands (see IWDG website for full Environmental monitoring many there are and whether they are submissions). group proposed present year-round or seasonally only. firstly, the IWDG responded to a scoping The Department's approval for the project Harbour porpoises do not generally document circulated by Enterprise in was made subject to 28 conditions recommended by the Marine Licence Vetting bear much scarring or colour variation December 1999. No reference was made to our which would allow for individual consultations, or to any of the information we Committee. The committee's report on the ElA recognised that potential impacts on cetaceans recognition, but some subtle features of provided, in the first ELA,produced in their dorsal fins, such as notches and December 2000. would arise from well-drilling, blasting during shape, have enabled the identification of This ELAcontained very few facts or informed pipe laying, and also from vessel operations. It recommended that works which would individuals from on·e photo session at opinion on cetaceans, and the IWDG stated: Head. A continuation of this "The Corrib gas field ELAfails to determine adversely impact upon cetaceans should be photo-identification work and an the species potentially affected by this avoided, and that the developer liaise with enlargement of the database of photos is development and makes no attempt to mitigate Duchas and cetacean experts on future seismic planned, and the help of any experienced or monitor the impacts of the proposed works surveys. It also recommended that prior to the commencement of works an environmental photographers interested in participating on these species. management plan be drawn up and an in this work would be greatly appreciated. environmental monitoring group be set up • For further information, please contact IWDC News SUMMER 2002 2 Ruth Leeney, Marine Biodiversity Lab, UCD Tel: (0 I) 716 2239, [email protected] Have passpon, will travel allowed to remain free and follow his own incli• nations, it will be fascinating to see where he turns up next. To have a look at the comparison photos, and for further information check our website at http://www.irishdolphins.com •

Dorsal fin of bottlenose dolphin 'Dony' (left) and 'Georges' (right): they are the same animal. Dorsal Dolphin dangers fin shape is the equivalent of a passport photo when The friendly dolphin is still in Fanore, Co Clare, it comes to identifying individual dolphins. and attracting bigger crowds every week. Such is the level of interest in her that serious issues of Graham Timmins safety and access have arisen. These concerns Following contacts with dolphin researchers in were discussed at a recent meeting called by the the UK and France, we are now able to report a Garda superintendent in Ennistymon and unique record of a solitary dolphin's travels attended by the IWDG. through northwest Europe over the last year The water safety officer with Clare County In May 2001, a lone bottlenose dolphin Council is very concerned that a death will occur followed a fishing boat from Carrigaholt, Co if people continue to swim with the dolphin as Clare, to Baile na nGall in west Kerry and from the area is very dangerous, with strong currents there to the Great Blasket. Over the following and a rocky shore. Access along the road, which two months this small, heavily scarred and very is the main access route to north Clare for the bold animal stayed in this area and many people emergency services, is severely restricted and watched or swam with him. This extremely gridlock occurred last August. interactive dolphin, which we nicknamed Dony, It is clear that as long as the dolphin remains disappeared from Kerry at the beginning of July in the area people will want to swim with her, 2001. and some at the meeting suggested that she be The same dolphin, apparently, turned up in relocated. The IWDG suggested that the dolphin Dorset in southwest England at the end of March has a right to be where it is and that the 2002, having done a tour of Britanny, northwest management problems are with people, not with France and the Channel Islands in the meantime. the dolphin. We have compared many photos of Dony with Increased education about the risks associated those of Georges, as he has become known in with swimming in the area and with a wild France and England, and are convinced they are dolphin should be explored, and liaison with the a perfect match. He seems to be even madder land-owner (whose property people cross to get now than when he was in Ireland and is to the dolphin) is essential. sustaining regular injuries from boat propellers in Management models for similar human• the busy harbour of Weymouth, raising concerns dolphin interaction situations have been amongst local wildlife groups about his safety. developed in other countries, with the problem Dr Horace Dobbs tells the story of a solitary, being sensitively managed by local authorities, interactive dolphin which in 1972 moved from and some have become world-famous tourist the Isle of Man to south Wales and then to attractions. It could be an interesting educational Cornwall, but no comparable relocation has been experience for Clare County Council to see recorded since then. Now for the first time we Monkey Mia in Australia! (see website: know of a dolphin moving from the west coast of http://www.monkeymia.com.au/resortldolphins. Ireland to France and then to England within the html) • space of nine months. If Dony/Georges survives the attention he is currently receiving and is

_. _. - • By Padraig Whoolev

Big blues in Baja Fluking blue whale in the Baja,summer 2002 This trip was a new departure for Within minutes we were watching sensory overload which was quite me as I confess to being a better solo gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) moving. With hardly a dry eye in traveller than team player and the and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops the house, we now felt like we were prospect of being cooped up in a truncatus) from Highway 1, as IIAt 40 metres truly in Baja. van with six others of dubious bemused Mexican drivers sped by. My snoring apart, the whales were character was one I had misgivings In retrospect, whalewatching from the only impediment to sleep as about. A diverse bunch, comprising the narrow verge of a major Mexican distance, the they blew tantalisingly close to our Dick Coombes, Sandra Jordan, Faith motorway was crazy, as within days tents throughout the night. The Wilson, Audra Furnell, Simon we would be close enough to touch sense of expectation was such that Berrow, Frances Bermingham and these gentle giants. claims of the by dawn we were all up to see the myself, pooling a variety of interests Under pressure from the birding first rays of light catching the ranging from botany, ecology, marine contingent we visited Laguna blue whale vapour plumes from the same biology, photography and yes, even Hanson, a twitchers' mecca, in whales that had kept us from our bird watching. Parque National de Constitution slumber. Initial omens were not good, as 1847. Apart from the fact that the being the In all, we did three gray whale fog in Heathrow stranded our lake was dried out and we nearly trips - two from Oje de Liebre and departures from Shannon, Dublin froze to death in night temperatures equivalent of one from Bahia Magdellana, further and Cork, resulting in none of us that plummeted below freezing, the south. If guaranteed 'close getting to San Diego quite the way range of woodpeckers, jays and, proximity' encounters are your our tickets suggested we might. But surprisingly, bald eagles at the SO African thing, then look no further, as the we all arrived safely, if a little southern tip of their range, made grays will show off their calves, exhausted, and the following day we the detour well worth the effort, and spy-hop, pee-slap, tail-fluke and on broke for the world's busiest border who better to have on board than elephants occasion breach spectacularly in crossing at Tijuana, the gateway to Dick Coombes to help us front of you. You don't necessarily the Baja peninsula, which stretches distinguish our feathered friends staned need to take a boat trip, as ring-side 1,000 miles south to the Tropic of from the trees. seats can be had from the shore. On • Cancer and beyond. "The Baja," as Guerrero Negro is exactly half one occasion, by simply allowing gringos refer to it, is the second way down the peninsula, forming making the incoming tide to lap around our longest inhabited peninsula in the the state line between northern and waists, the whales could approach us to within SOm. world, bathed by the Pacific Ocean southern Baja. The town is still 20 perfect sense to the west and the Gulf of miles from Oje de Liebre Whalewatching just doesn't get California (Sea of Cortez) to the (Scammon's Lagoon), the busiest any easier, but if you're willing to east. calving area, where as many as to me" risk a trade-off then you must travel In our rented Dodge, we snaked 2,000 gray whales reside between south to Loreto, some way down the our way lazily down the peninsula, January and April before returning Gulf side, where our sights were set soaking up the sights, sounds and to Alaska, a 14,000km round-trip. firmly on the planet's largest living smells. Baja's distractions, too many We arrived at the lagoon on one of animaL This sleepy provincial town to note here, ensured our flight plan those breathlessly still nights where must surely offer some of the best was soon consigned to the glove the Milky Way was so bright you whalewatching in the world and the compartment. The first of dozens of could touch it. This visual treat reason I say this is that we're talking unscheduled stops occurred just 30 combined with the sound of whales about the blue whale (Balaenoptera minutes after crossing the border, blowing just beyond the sandbar in musculus). when blows were observed offshore. Coca Cola-calm water created a Although our group had had some serious whale experience, Blue whale surfaces in·the Sea of Cortez, Baja, summer 2002 none of us had seen blue whales, and this was a situation we hoped to rectify. Our first attempt to see them was from a land-based site on an elevated road about lOkm south of Loreto, looking out into the calm waters between Isla Carmen and Danzante. Within minutes of arriving we were watching distant blows several miles off, but the problem was establishing whether the blows were from blue or fin whales. Yes, in theory you would think this an easy one to sort out, given their differences in dimensions,

4 IWDG Nell'S SUMMER 2002 colour and dorsal fin. However, it LOokus an hour to establish that among about eight fin whales was a whale that was noticeably larger, paler and with a diagnostically 'puny' dorsal fin, and this was our contender. It wasn't till it fluked at the end of a dive sequence that we could breath a collective sigh at having had our first blue whale encounter. To be honest, had that been it, we'd have considered the experience an anti-climax, but this was a mere taste of what was to follow. The following day we negotiated a rate of US$150 per panga (a 25ft boat that takes four) for an eight-hour trip to the islands around which we had scoped the whales the previous day. Within 15 minutes of leaving the marina we were steaming towards fin-whale blows, and on occasion we got remarkably close LO them, but the real treat was when we turned east around Carmen and Blue whale flukes before diving, Baja, summer 2002 encountered an adult and juvenile blue whale, which stayed close LOus for almost an hour. The adult caught us on the hop, surfacing within 40m of us. To say we got Policy on offshore windfarms a shock does the situation no justice. At Simon Burow subsequent power of the conclusions regarding these distances, the claims of the blue The IWDG has been asked to comment on a impact. It is likely that encounter rates and whale being the equivalent of 50 African sightings of cetaceans during fieldwork will be number of scoping documents for offshore elephants started making perfect sense to low, due in most part to weather conditions wind farms. The potential impact of offshore me. The explosive 30ft blow and the rather than the presence or absence of wind turbines on cetaceans is not known, subsequent sound of the intake cetaceans. An approach that the IWDG but despite the best efforts of engineers there emanating from its cavernous blowhole is transmission of sound underwater. The promotes is LOassess the sighting rate (this can put me in a potentially awkward be predicted from existing survey results) and lWDG will be producing policy documents situation, as 1 was already struggling with then carry out a power analysis. In this way you on this and other issues, but in summary we a nasty bOUl of Montezuma's revenge can predict the number of sightings required to (MexicanIBombay bum) and this almost advise developers to consider the following: be confident in your conclusions (ie that there tipped the balance in Montezuma's • consider migratory species as well as has or hasn't been an impact caused by the favour. With my heartbeat regulated and those 'resident' or seasonally occurring; development). It is likely, however, that to be my body functions somewhat under • identify geographical and seasonal more than 50% confident in your conclusions, control, I could only marvel as its distribution; the amount of fieldwork required to obtain the expansive body rolled inLOview, revealing • identify potential calving areas and necessary sightings would be unacceptable. a massive muscular column down its critical habitats; Another approach is to monitor the site rotund back. Expectations reached fever • remember that cetaceans live in an acoustically and produce an index of usage pitch when the final arch of its tailstock acoustic world and any effect is much based on this. developed into the classic blue-whale more likely LObe acoustic impact rather Some wind farm developments could actually fluke. Yes, a Kodak moment ... before than loss of habitat, ete; enhance the area for cetaceans by creating an another dash for the bucket! • we would expect pre-construction and artificial reef. It would be important to detect We did a total of three trips from post-construction monitoring to these positive influences as well as the Loreto and saw both blue and fin whales determine whether there has been any potentially negative ones. Given the proposals with ease on each occasion. On our displacement, either temporary or for offshore wind farms on most of the shallow second trip we had a wonderful permanent. banks in the from Wexford to Louth, bottlenose dolphin encounter, when a An important consideration is how the this issue is one we need to monitor and pod of 10-12 approached our boat. As if fieldwork on cetaceans is designed, and the continue to act on. • to make the point that Irish bottle noses can't jump, one of them breached several times its body length clear out of the water. We were all so impressed that IWDG meets EU commissioner everyone froze, forgetting to take a picture, but such wonderful sights, of Shay Fennelly and Faith Wilson of the Ms Wallstrbm passed the question LOadviser which Baja has so many to offer, are best lWDG had a meeting with EU environment Micheal 6 Briain, who said it was the legal view kept in memory. As for the money spent commissioner Margot Wallstrbm during her of the Commission that the habitats directive and the time lost. .. well, they're already visit to Ireland in January 2002. They raised applied out to the 200-mile limit, and he noted forgotten, but the memories will surely the concerns of the group regarding the that the UK and other EU countries were last a lifetime. • failure of the Irish Government to beginning to apply this. implement the EIA and habitats directives to Ms Wallstrbm invited the Irish NGOs to write • If you have any queries on watching whales, the edge of the 200-mile economic exclusive LOher regarding this and other issues. The ete, write to Padraig Whooley, 2 Langford zone, in relation to offshore gas and IWDG subsequently submitted a letter to Ms Place, Langford Row, Cork Tel: (021) 431 petroleum exploration. Wallstrbm outlining our main concerns about 5723 Email: [email protected] The commissioner was asked to clarify marine mammal conservation in Ireland (the whether the habitats directive applied submission can be found on our website at IWDG Website: throughout the economic exclusive zone, http://www.iwdg.ie). These issues will be raised where blue, fin and humpback whales occur. with the new Government. • Visit our website at www.iwdg.ie

SUMMER 2002 IWDG News 5 Whale-watching from Bullig Point, • Whale-watching and related events 2002 New IWDG website Whale Watch Day 18th August The IWDG is proud to announce the launch of its new website www.iwdg.ie. Whale Watch Ireland 2002 takes place on stewarding. As you can see, we are increasing It has all the familiar features from the Sunday 18th August to coincide with our coverage from six to nine locations and previous site, including Irish news, on• Marine Week. Watches will be held mostly need your support if this event is to continue line reporting and photo gallery, but it between 2.00pm and 5.00pm on the to grow Please contact the leaders if you also has many new tricks. The website headlands listed below wish to get involved. will be linked to the IWDG Cetacean We hope that you, as IWDG members, Sightings Database. IWDG members will will not only join us but turn up to help on We'd like to thank Patagonia for their be able to interact directly with the the day. We need people like you to help us continued support of this event and the database and get the most recent find cetaceans, field questions and assist with IWDG Sighting Scheme. • updates on cetacean sightings in Irish waters. They will be able to sort Watch location Meeting point, time Contact name, phone sightings by species, location or date and to list, tabulate or map the results. , Cork Golf course gates, 2pm PadraigWhooley (021) 431 5723 This is one of the first interactive Clogher Head, Kerry Blasket Island Centre, 1.45pm Mick O'Connell (064) 24 934 websites linked to a scientific database , Clare Lighthouse car park, 2pm Simon Berrow 086-854 5450 in Ireland. It will herald a new era for Downpatrick Head, Mayo Car park, 2pm Tony Murray 087-6479926 recording cetaceans in Irish waters and , Antrim Countryside Centre, 2pm Jim Allen 028-70347282 Portrnuck, ,Antrim Portmuck car park, lOam Ian Enlander 028-9337 2724 make a major contribution to biological recording in Ireland. , Dublin Balscaddencar park (not summit), 2pm Dave Wall 087-2977931 Bray Head, Wicklow Aquarium, Bray seafront, 2pm Nick Channon (0 I) 860 0586 The website received support from the Heritage Council under Hook Head, Wexford Hook lighthouse, 2pm Faith Wilson 087-6377328 the 2002 Publications Grant Scheme .• Whalewatching the INTO. This scheme enables specialists to Weekends visit primary schools for either half- or full• day visits. If you are interested in Simon or IWDGand P&O August 10th &: 11th - Whalewatch weekend Padraig visiting a primary school in your area course, Cape Clear Island, West Cork. Leader: to present a talk, workshop and (where Ferry Survey Padraig Whooley Tel: (021) 431 5723, possible) a field trip on Irish whales and The IWDG/P&O Ferry Survey is looking padraigwhoo [email protected] dolphins, then contact Simon at 086-854 for volunteers to conduct cetacean September 7th &: 8th - Whalewatch 5450, [email protected] or Padraig at (021) surveys on board P&O vessels crossing weekend course, Belmullet/Iniskea Islands, Co 431 5723, [email protected] • the Celtic Sea to Cherbourg, France. Mayo. Contact: Anthony Irwin Tel: 087-764 Surveyors should have some 0131, oceanman [email protected] Shannon Dolphin experience of cetacean and seabird identification and be willing to spend Sept 28th &: 29th - Whalewatch weekend Festival long hours surveying at sea in all course, Loop HeadlShannon estuary, Co The second Shannon Dolphin Festival will be Clare. Leader: Simon Berrow Tel: 086-854 weathers. Surveys are conducted held in Kilrush, Co Clare, from 18-21st July. indoors from the bridge of passenger 5450, sdwf@oceanfreenet • Throughout the four days there will be ferries, but outdoor surveying may be marine-themed fun and games, music and required as well. Heritage in Schools other events, including the Whale and Trips are conducted monthly and IWDG committee members Simon Berrow Dolphin Roadshow successful applicants will be allotted one and Padraig Whooley are Heritage Specialists • More details from website: or more surveys during the year. All meals and on-board accommodation will for the Heritage in Schools Scheme, a www.shannondolphinfestival.com be looked after. partnership between the Heritage Council and or phone (065) 905 2622 • If interested, please email Dave Wall at [email protected] or Fin whales: seen regularly along southwest coast of Ireland phone 087-297 7931. See IWDG website for more details. •

UK National Whale and Dolphin Watch Weekend The first ever UK National Whale and Dolphin Watch Weekend is being organised by the Seawatch Foundation and will take place on 27-28 July 2002. Events will take place on headlands around the British coast. For further details see www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk •

6 IWDG News SUMMER 2002 --' ~ G; lD c: o E in

Dolphin-watching in the Shannon estuary Clicks and whistles International year of Eco-Tourism Recording dolphins off the west coast 2002 has been designated International Ewan Wakefield the boat was surrounded by about fifty dolphins, Year of Eco-Tourism by the United bow-riding and breaching With so many Nations. In August 2001, I spent three days with Dr vocalising animals within range, individual The opportunity for wildlife-based Simon Berrow and skipper Joe Aston aboard the whistles were inaudible above the high intensity tourism in Ireland is growing ever Anna M, recording common dolphin (De/phinus squeals and clicks of dolphin sonar. After half an de/phis) vocalisations off the coasts of Kerry and stronger and was recently explored by hour the dolphins began to lose interest in us IWDG chairman Simon Berrow in a paper Clare. This work was carried out as part of an and headed off northwest. As they receded into MSc project, a study of the effects of seismic presented to the Marine Eco-Tourism for the distance their sonar clicks, which although surveying on the acoustic behaviour of common the Atlantic Area (META) conference in loud have a limited range, faded until their dolphin, supervised by Dr John Goold of the Dublin (see IWDG website for full paper). whistles became audible again, allowing us to University of Wales, Bangor. Whalewatching in Ireland was worth an make a clear recording of about twenty animals. Much of my project involved re-analysing After such a spectacular show the rest of the day estimated € 1,480,000 in direct revenues hours of recordings of dolphin whistles made by was relatively quiet and, having rounded loop in 1998 and €7,973,000 in indirect Dr Goold before and during seismic surveys in Head once more, we docked in the small harbour revenues, with the majority of the the Celtic Sea. My aim was to look for subtle at Fenit. 177,600 whalewatchers in Ireland visiting differences in the whistles the dolphins used in On the final day of the cruise we had fine Fungie in harbour, Co Kerry. these 'before and during' weather and a fresh Dolphin-watching in the Shannon contexts, which ~ southwesterly breeze, could indicate a ~ estuary started in 1993 and by 200 I CD but no more numbers taking dolphin-watching trips had vocal response to 5 encounters with D. increased to 15,000 people, with a net seismic surveying ~ de/phis. However, noise. gain to the local economy of about around lunchtime, The majority of €400,OOO-876,OOOin 2000. As this northeast of Kerry my time was spent in economy continues to expand, safeguards Head, we spotted a the lab, listening to group of six harbour must be put in place to ensure that such whistles through porpoises (Phocoena growth is sustainable and does not headphones and phocoena). These tiny adversely affect our whale and dolphin staring at spectro- cetaceans are populations. grams on a computer notoriously shy of The IWDG is currently developing screen. Thankfully, I Common dolphin boats and, true to form, policy papers on sustainable whale• also spent some time they swam rapidly away. Unlike dolphins, P watching, amongst other matters, and at sea making my own observations and phocoena don't produce whistles but they do emit recordings. The main aim of the west coast cruise welcomes any inputs or suggestions on clicks. These clicks have very high frequencies, was to record different-sized groups of common this .• and unfortunately they were well above the dolphins so that I could devise a simple empirical recording range of our equipment. relationship between the number of whistles The trip started as it had begun when, Oiled wildlife recorded and the number of animals likely to be returning up the Shannon estuary towards within acoustic range. response in Ireland Carrigaholt, we were once again visited by Despite poor weather, the trip started auspi• bottlenose dolphins. First, one large adult surged Kevin Mc Cormick ciously when, sailing down the Shannon, twenty across our bow, then three more adults and a calf minutes out of Carrigaholt, Co Clare, we were joined in. The Dublin Port Authority in conjunction joined by four resident bottlenose dolphins The recordings and observations I made with the Irish Seal Sanctuary recently held (Tursiops truncatus). By midday, we were during the trip identified a real need for new a three-day seminar on Oiled Wildlife northwest of loop Head and in the Atlantic ways of accurately estimating the size and distrib• Care Training, jointly presented by the proper. Once we had deployed the hydrophone ution of pelagic dolphin populations. At the International Bird Research Rescue we began to hear occasional D. de/phis whistles. moment, using hydrophones, it is only possible Centre (IBRRC) and the International later that afternoon, a large group of diving to detect the presence of dolphins. My work Fund for Animal Welfare. gannets alerted us to the likely presence of shows that in the future it should also be possible As a direct result of this course, we dolphins west of the . Sharing the to accurately relate the number of whistles same school of fish as the gannets, perhaps now have a better understanding of the detected to the number of dolphins in a twenty animals were breaching and diving in major components involved in oiled particular area and hence monitor the impact of pursuit of their prey and, with the hydrophone, wildlife response. We envisage that a activities such as seismic surveying. National Oil Response Team will be set I was able to capture their excited whistles. A longer version of this article, together with Following this first encounter, we were able to up which can be called upon should we examples of some of the dolphin whistles I record several more groups that day, each of recorded can be viewed at have a major oil spill around our between five and forty dolphins. wwwgannetsway.com/research/wakefield. coastline .• After a night anchored in the lee of Kilronan we sailed south, close under the Cliffs of Moher. • Thanks to Joe Aston, Dr Simon Berrowand Dr The first few hours were uneventful, with no John Goold for their help with this project. The Sightings visual sightings and only an occasional whistle fieldwork wasjointly funded by the Shannon faintly audible above the low rumbling of Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation, the UK Natural Details of any sightings should be sent to breaking waves. Then suddenly, at midday, the Environment Research Council (as part of my MSc the IWDG Cetacean Sighting Scheme. silence was broken by a cacophony of noise as studentship) and Joe Aston.• SUMMERR 2002 IWDG News 7

b. • IWDG contacts around the coast

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has established a network of contacts who will visit stranded animals and collect records of those sighted at sea. If you find a whale, dolphin or porpoise washed up, or observe one at sea or from the shore, please tell your nearest contact person.

Kevin McCormick 086-6258134

Strandings Sightings Dr Emer Rogan, Dept Dr Simon Berrow, of Zoology, UCC Live strandings Merchants Quay, Tel: (021) 490 4197 or Kilrush, Co Clare Duchas (0 I) 647 2404 (021) 490 4053 Tel: (065) 905 2326 Mobile 087-699 5314 IWDG 087-6995314 Mobile: 086-854 5450 086-854 5450 Email: [email protected] Email: 155 (0 I) 835 4370 [email protected]

8 IWDG News SUMMER 2002