Donegal humpback whale sighting like 'lottery win'
A humpback whale named Spot has been seen off the coast of County Donegal.
Otherwise known as #HBIRL24, the huge marine mammal was seen in Donegal Bay.
The seven-metre whale was joined by dolphins and minke whales during its display, seen from a boat by whale watchers.
James Garvey from Rossnowlagh Surf School witnessed the "majestic" animal breaching on Tuesday. He said it was "a phenomenal day" that no-one onboard would forget.
"I don't know the odds of winning the lottery but this was the same thing for a whale lover - a nature lover's lottery win."
Mr Garvey said he chartered a boat with his friend and headed out to witness 10 minke whales and an estimated 500 common and bottlenose dolphins.
"Then the holy grail appeared... I'm still not over it," he told BBC News NI.
"Every time you meet a whale it's just an incredible experience.
"It's breath-taking every time, given their size, but it's just breath-taking anyway, and how curious they are about people.
"It's a pretty rare occurrence that a humpback whale would be spotted in Donegal Bay, but for one to put on an incredible performance just half an hour from Rossnowlagh is just unbelievable.
"We saw a huge array of whale behaviour including four huge breaches, bubble-netting and fluke-slapping."
Bubble-netting is how whales sometimes feed on the surface.
The whale was identified from pictures of its fluke, or tail fin, as #HBIRL24.
He is something of a celebrity in whale-watching circles, having been documented more than 45 times in the past 11 years.
He is believed to have been first spotted as a calf with his mother in 2013.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) said it had recorded 11 validated sightings of humpbacks since the start of June 2023 in Donegal Bay and Broadhaven in Mayo.
But none of those have been in the traditional hotspots of West Cork and Kerry.
The group said a "complete shift" had been observed in recent weeks, from the Irish south west to the north west.
It is the first time in almost a quarter of a century that whales have changed their location around.
The group said more and more species of whales and dolphins were being recorded in Irish waters.
Whitehead whale
IWDG records show a humpback whale was also spotted last week off the coast of County Antrim.
People on a dive charter vessel from Whitehead reported it.
Although there was no footage or photographs available, the sighting has been validated by the IWDG as the first in that area for four years.
Pádraig Whooley, the IWDG sightings officer, said it was only a matter of time before the larger marine animals like the humpback are seen more regularly around the island of Ireland.
"This is a pioneering species, looking for more rich feeding areas," he added.
"This shows their range is expanding."
Any sightings of whales, dolphins and other species can be reported by members of the public on the IWDG website.
