Whale watching on the Dingle Peninsula

Whalewatching

fairtheoireacht míolta móra - whale watching

The Dingle Peninsula is a renowned whale-watching spot that offers fantastic opportunities for the keen observer. A diverse range of cetaceans from Ireland’s smallest, the harbour porpoise, up to some of the biggest, the baleen whales, can be seen at different times of the year.
Slea Head is the perfect vantage point offering good elevation and a great panorama over several different marine habitats. Porpoise can often be seen foraging for fish close in to the cliffs on a calm day as well as out in the Blasket Sound. Our most abundant whale, the minke, can also be seen relatively close in, along with the highly active common dolphin. The squid-eating risso’s dolphin are to be found around the outer islands and the bottlenose dolphin can turn up anywhere at any time! In all eight species of whale and dolphin are regularly recorded along with other marine mega fauna like the basking shark, often seen in early summer surface-feeding on the plankton blooms. Late summer, early autumn is when the activity is peaking, and the ante is upped with the possibility of the large whales appearing.  These sixty-foot giants are following the large shoals of fish on which they filter-feed, down the coast. Scan the horizon for the twenty-foot-tall blow of a fin whale or the tail fluke of a diving humpback.

So, grab your binoculars and telescope if you have them and head to a good safe lookout point. Scan for anomalies on the surface of a calm sea and diving gannets, or other feeding seabirds. With your appetite whetted you might also want to follow up a shore watch with a boat trip on one of the dedicated wildlife tours. Happy whale spotting.

two orca whales dingle peninsula

More Info

For the latest sightings and additional info check out the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group website at Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

Weather

For weather forecast see Met Eireann website www.met.ie

Aquarium

Learn more about Marine Wildlife and Conservation at Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium. The Aquarium has many interesting tank displays and is committed to conservation and preservation of all marine and freshwater systems and their unique flora and fauna through education and research support.

Dingle Aquarium www.dingle-oceanworld.ie

Where to Whale watch on the Dingle Peninsula

 Activity Providers - Boat Tours

Directory links to related businesses, events and providers on the Dingle Peninsula