Sea creature seen in Ireland river for the first time ‘to everyone’s amazement’
For the first time, a humpback whale was spotted near the mouth of a river in Ireland.
The creature was seen swimming “way up” in the Shannon Estuary — which flows southwest into the Atlantic Ocean — on Nov. 26 and 27, according to a Dec. 6 news release from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), a non-profit.
The sighting, which was captured on video by boat pilots, came “to everyone’s amazement.”
“There have been reports of species larger than the resident bottlenose dolphins in the inner estuary, but never has evidence such as a photograph or video been obtained,” the release said. “To be honest, none of us would have believed this sighting without the evidence.”
After being notified of the encounter, IWDG began searching for the animal in the estuary, which the Shannon River flows into. With the help of local boat pilots, they located it on Dec. 3.
IWDG then set to work photographing it, gathering images of both sides and its tail. Using these photos, it was unable to match it with previously documented whales — “suggesting it is a new animal.”
IWDG also flew a drone above the creature to take measurements. The water, however, was murky, making this process difficult. Still, it appeared to be small in size, according to the release.
Because of the rarity of the sighting, the group asked that extra precautions be taken.
“This is the first case of a humpback whale in the estuary, and we need to exercise due care,” the release said. “The Shannon is a high-density maritime traffic area, so the whale is at increased risk of a ship strike.”
Specifically, IWDG requested that ship pilots in the area slow down to 10 knots or less, keep their eyes peeled for the whale and steer clear of it should they spot it.
Concluding, the group said, “This just shows again, the changing distributions of whales and dolphins in Irish waters and the bonus of leaving forage fish in the sea to be … foraged.”
Humpback whales, which can grow to 60 feet long and live up to 90 years, are found throughout all the world’s oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In many areas, the species is growing in number — after being nearly wiped out by commercial whaling in the past several centuries. However, they are also threatened by entanglements, collisions with ships and ocean noise.
This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Sea creature seen in Ireland river for the first time ‘to everyone’s amazement’."