In spite of the unsettled weather this past few days the preceeding two weeks had us running some lovely wildlife tours out of Baltimore Harbour. The facilities at Baltimore providing our guests with additional comforts during these early season tours…followed by stops for tea at North Harbour on Cape Clear.
With numbers of Manx Shearwaters increasing daily and Gannets feeding inshore we have recorded Basking Sharks off Rabbit Island (following earlier sightings off Baltimore), Minke Whales in their traditional haunts along the eastern and southern shores of Sherkin island and Harbour Porpoise activity in both the Gascanane Sound and off Kedge Island east of Baltimore Harbour. We suspected a feeding Minke Whale east of Rabbit Island two days ago but due to rough seas were unable to confirm.
On one glorious occasion a colleague of mine sailing along Sherkin’s eastern shore encountered a breaching Minke Whale…after the initial shock as this animal launched itself out of the water close to his boat the crew all enjoyed the spectacle – one of the most spectacular to occur along this part of the southern Irish coast and one that we have had the priviledge to witness on many occasions both from the boat and during land based whale watches.
For our early visitors the bonus of sunshine and the beautiful islands of Roaringwater Bay with Choughs wheeling above North Harbour on Cape Clear Island and Gannets diving close into Calf Island West provides a memerable backdrop for early season tours off West Cork.
ENDS
Nic, you might get a kick out of this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZpNk3PCWhk