29 March 2024

Killer Whales in Baltimore Bay…and minkes and sunfish!

Following several days of stunning Minke Whale and Harbour Porpoise sightings we headed out again this morning on a glassy sea with slight swell anticipating finding some feeding Minke Whales offshore…

…a few moments later I picked up an animal surfacing around 100 metres away. Unmistakably the dorsal fin of a young male Killer Whale. Further scanning picked up two more. A larger animal and a younger, adolescent male by the shape of the dorsal fin. The larger animal had a completely bent over, curled dorsal fin. This happens occasionally, even in wild animals, but it is the first time I have seen this in a wild Killer Whale.

Killer Whales are an uncommon sighting along this part of the south coast so it is expecially exciting to be able to log this in addition to the great Minke Whale sightings we have been having. Later in the trip we encountered a large, feeding Minke Whale in Long Island sound no more than a mile off the old castle of Doonanore.

The presence of Killer Whales so close inshore might have accounted for the lack of Harbour Porpoise normally encountered when crossing Roaringwater Bay!!

All topped off with a medium sized, but rather shy, Atlantic Sunfish…

ENDS

Comments

  1. gerard vonk says:

    hello Nic,
    about killer whales> a young one stranded in the Waddenzee (north of holland, neighbourhood from the five isles) and was in bad condition but stabilized. They try to ‘upgrade’ the orca and to bring her back to Scotland where they think the whale lived. Very, very special for Holland, like you see special things in Baltimore Bay. It’s a pity I’m back in Holland and not in Baltimore. But I’ve got dreams, dreams to remember, like Otis Redding once sang.
    greetings, Gerard

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