Mooney Goes Wild contributor Terry Flanagan shares his latest round up of nature news.
We are all familiar with the dolphins that live in the Shannon estuary, but as of last week a new resident has arrived - a humpback whale.
The whale was first spotted by a passenger travelling on the ferry between Tarbert in Co Kerry and Killimer in Co Clare. Dr. Simon Berrow of the Irish Whale and Dolphin group said that it was the first recorded sighting of a humpback whale in the estuary.
A #humpback #whale is continuing to feed in the Shannon estuary.
— Tomás O Mainnín (@omainnintomas) December 11, 2024
It's the first time the species has been recorded by @IWDGnews in the estuary.
They have appealed to shipping companies in the busy estuary to reduce speed to minimise the risk of collision with the whale. pic.twitter.com/vaXFhLbA2Y
"A humpback whale in the estuary is unprecedented. We would never have believed it if we hadn't seen it ourselves. We have seen it up as far as the ferry crossing and down as far as Scattery Island. We believe it is a juvenile whale who may have found a new feeding ground for itself," Dr Berrow said.
Although that may seem to be good news, especially to locals and ferry passengers, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group has expressed concern about a possible ship strike on the whale as the estuary is a busy shipping corridor.
It has contacted Shannon Foynes Port Company, the largest bulk port company in Ireland which operates in the estuary, to ask them to inform ship pilots of the whale and to request that the ships reduce their speed.
The humpback whale was first spotted in the estuary by a passenger travelling on the ferry between Tarbert in Co Kerry and Killimer in Co Clarehttps://t.co/GpBIFOjPKf
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) December 11, 2024
There are lots of ships travelling in the estuary and the company has been asked to request ships "reduce their speed to below 14 knots as this reduces the risk of ship collision greatly, though not eliminating it".
"It would be the responsible thing to do while this amazingly unusual event is happening in the estuary," he said.
In a statement, Shannon Foynes Port Company said it was aware of the whale sighting and that any further sightings by its staff or ships would be reported to the IWDG. The whale is feeding, and it is believed that it was attracted to the Shannon Estuary by shoaling fish.
Humpback whales have increasingly been sighted in Irish waters in recent years, and they can range in length from 14 to 17 metres and can weigh up to 40 tonnes. Humpback whales are popular for whale watchers due to their distinctive surface and breaching behaviour.
