Shannon Dolphin Project

IWDG Sanctuary Day | 7 JUNE

Tomorrow we celebrate 35 years of Ireland as Europe’s first Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary and the work being done to better understand and protect whales and dolphins in Irish waters.

For over three decades, IWDG has supported the research and monitoring of whales and dolphins in Irish waters through dedicated research programmes, long-term monitoring, public sightings schemes, and citizen science initiatives that help build knowledge of the incredible cetaceans around our coasts.

In The First Twenty-One Years (1990–2011), published to mark 21 years of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, marine conservationist and author Erich Hoyt reflected on the passion and community behind IWDG:
“The talking drums of Ireland beat fast and hard with whale news, instantly permeating the entire country.”

It’s this shared enthusiasm - from sightings and strandings to conservation and research - that continues to make Ireland’s whale and dolphin community so special today.

You can support Sanctuary Day by:
🔹 Wearing blue and sharing your photos with us
🔹 Tagging and sharing this post
🔹 Reporting your sightings via the IWDG Reporting App at report.iwdg.ie
🔹 Supporting the work of IWDG

Every sighting and every show of support helps raise awareness for marine conservation and citizen science in Ireland.

Learn more:
https://iwdg.ie/iwdg-sanctuary-day/

🙏 Support the campaign:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/iwdg-whale-and-dolphin-sanctuary-day

The dolphin stranded near Killimer has been examined by the IWDG. It is a bottlenose dolphin.

Bottlenose dolphins rately strand in Ireland. There have only been 6 in the Shannon Estuary over the last 30 years. There isca second bottlenose dolphin stranded near Knock. There are three genetically discrete populations of bottlenose in Ireland.

We think this is from the offshore population not the Shannon. We have taken skin samples to determine. We would like to preserve the skull and to that aim this dolphin has been secured where it stranded.

Any issues contact [email protected]

WhaleWatch Ireland in Co Clare this Saturday

On Saturday 23 May the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group (IWDG) in association with Inis, invites you to join us at a local headland for Whale Watch Ireland 2026, between 5:00-7:00 PM. This annual event, now in its 24th year, comprises free and guided watches at local headlands and vantage points, as part of All-Ireland whale watch day.

Of the 19 sites around the island of Ireland, two are in Co Clare: Loop Head in the southwest and Black Head in the north.

This year’s event is once again being held to coincide with National Biodiversity Week Ireland which runs between May 15th-24th. It is also hoped that moving it from late summer, will improve our odds of hosting this outdoor event in better weather conditions, as in recent years late August has simply become too unreliable with strong winds and rain. These simultaneous land-based watches at the 18 sites listed below from around the Irish coast provide IWDG researchers, whale enthusiasts and Citizen Scientists alike with a unique overview of whale and dolphin activity on the day and you can play an important part.

This event is suitable for all ages and is aimed at everyone from the novice wildlife enthusiast to more experienced naturalist, with a keen interest in marine wildlife and biological recording. In the event of unsuitable weather your watch leader may need to cancel your local event at short notice; so, if in doubt, please check in with them using the contact details below or on www.iwdg.ie/events. But don’t hesitate to contact them, or the event’s organiser, if you’ve any further questions in the lead up to your event.

Shannon Dolphin Project are back on Celtic Mist for a final season!

We kicked off our sightings this week with Kite and more young Shannon Dolphins putting on a show for the crew.

📷Ana Sanz / IWDG

Interview with SDP Officer Mags Daly on the use and value of Celtic Mist to the Shannon Dolphin Project.

https://www.clare.fm/news/kilrush-based-research-vessel-celtic-mist-to-retire-at-end-of-2026-season/

Kilrush-Based Research Vessel "Celtic Mist" To Retire At End Of 2026 Season - Clare FM Kilrush-Based Research Vessel "Celtic Mist" To Retire At End Of 2026 Season - News % Clare FM

Sponsor a Shannon dolphin family this Christmas! 🐬🎄

Your donation helps fund over 30 years of vital monitoring in the Shannon Estuary, protecting Ireland’s only resident bottlenose dolphin population.

Meet these gorgeous dolphins and choose the one you’d like to support on our Adopt a Dolphin webpage here: https://iwdg.ie/product/adopt-a-dolphin/

Give a gift that makes a real splash this Christmas!