Dolphin Encounters

Dolphin Encounters in Ireland

Our most popular dolphin encounters are with the Short -beaked Common Dolphin. These typical representatives of the family Delphinidae, the largest cetacean family, are fast swimmers, acrobatic and frequently ride the bow wave of our tour boat and research vessel. The Common Dolphin tends to move inshore during July through September and is a popular sighting with our many visitors who are frequently fulfilling a lifelong ambition to experience dolphin encounters in the wild. Groups of adults and young from 10 individuals up to several hundred are seen in the clean, rich waters off the southwest Cork coast. Other animals encountered less frequently off West Cork include the Bottlenose Dolphin and Risso's Dolphin. Our onboard hydrophones allow a special insight into the dolphin's underwater world of clicks and whistles. Along with underwater camera equipment this affords us unique opportunities to experience the way in which these animals interact below the surface and affords us insights into the dolphin character rarely experienced - something no other marine wildlife tour operators are able to provide. Other dolphin encounters in Ireland include the possibility of chance sightings with Killer Whales (Orcas) and Long-finned Pilot whales at different times throughout the year but these sightings are rare. These later animals, in spite of being called whales, are in fact the largest members of the dolphin family.

Risso's Dolphin with Scarring