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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Europe and Mediterranean

Europe and Mediterranean

Ireland

Wild Atlantic headlands where fin and humpback whales feed off West Cork and resident dolphins live in the Shannon, all watched from boat or cliff.

Coumeenoole bay and green cliffs at Dun Chaoin, Dingle Peninsula
Dun Chaoin, Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry · Photo: Proinsias Mac an Bheatha on Unsplash
Exploring

Ethics pass, open for travel. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard. Checked by Ocean Calling on 26 Sep 2026. Sources: Ireland country profile, IWC Whale Watching Handbook; Basking shark given the status of protected wild animal under the Wildlife Act, Government of Ireland, 2022; New laws to protect basking sharks in effect from today, RTE, 3 Oct 2022.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The US State Department rates Ireland at Level 1, exercise normal precautions, issued 20 March 2026. Australia's Smartraveller also advises normal safety precautions, and notes petty crime and rental car break ins. Sources: US State Department travel advisory, Ireland · Smartraveller travel advice, Ireland Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

WhalesSharksDolphinsWildlife watching

Why Ireland

In 1991 Ireland declared all its waters a whale and dolphin sanctuary, and 25 kinds of whales and dolphins have been recorded here. Fin whales come close to the West Cork coast in autumn and winter, and humpbacks are seen from summer into winter. About 140 bottlenose dolphins live in the Shannon Estuary, a protected area for them. Basking sharks, the second biggest fish in the world, are protected by law since October 2022. Many people remember Fungie, a wild dolphin who lived alone in Dingle harbour from 1983 until he disappeared in October 2020. His story taught Ireland a lot about giving wild animals space. The national guidance says boats keep at least 100 metres from whales and people do not swim with them, so we watch everything from the boat or from the cliffs.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

CanadaRussiaNorwayGreenlandFranceTunisiaAlgeriaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomIcelandSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaMoroccoBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoWest Cork coast, IrelandDingle Peninsula and Blasket Islands, IrelandShannon Estuary and Loop Head, Ireland

When to go

May-Oct. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass

Meets the Ocean Calling standard.

In 1991 Ireland made all its waters a whale and dolphin sanctuary, the first in Europe, and basking sharks are protected by law since October 2022. The national guidance says boats keep at least 100 metres from whales and people do not swim with them. This guidance is voluntary, so we follow it strictly and watch everything from a calm boat or from the cliffs.

Checked 26 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Ireland

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

West Cork coast

Exploring

Headlands and small harbours where fin and humpback whales come close in autumn and winter, watched from the boat or the cliffs.

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Fin whales (autumn and winter), Humpback whales (summer to winter), Minke whales (spring to autumn), Common dolphins, Harbour porpoises, Grey seals

When: Aug-Jan. Minke whales and dolphins come in summer. The big fin and humpback whales are usually closer to the coast from late summer into winter, when the sea can be rough and trips are often cancelled.

Dingle Peninsula and Blasket Islands

Exploring

A peninsula and island group with seals, seabirds and summer basking sharks, all watched with care.

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Grey seals (pups in autumn), Basking sharks (late spring and summer, not every year), Common and bottlenose dolphins, Minke and humpback whales (sometimes), Seabirds on the islands

When: May-Sep. Summer gives calmer sea for island trips. A new voluntary wildlife watching code for boats started here in spring 2026.

Shannon Estuary and Loop Head

Exploring

A protected estuary with about 140 resident bottlenose dolphins, watched from licensed boats or from the Loop Head cliffs.

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Bottlenose dolphins (resident, all year), Harbour porpoises, Grey seals, Seabirds on the Loop Head cliffs

When: May-Sep. The dolphins live here all year. Boat trips mostly run in the warmer months, and only licensed boats may run dolphin trips in the estuary.

Animals

Animals recorded in Ireland

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Fin whale surfacing, showing its white right lower jawFin whaleBalaenoptera physalusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasVulnerableHumpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMinke whale surfacing and exhaling, seen from aboveCommon minke whale (North Atlantic)Balaenoptera acutorostrataSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBump-head sunfish swimming in blue water off Nusa PenidaOcean sunfish (mola)Mola molaSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBasking shark swimming underwater in green water off Argyll, ScotlandBasking sharkCetorhinus maximusSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGrey seal resting on a seaweed rock in Northumberland, UKGrey sealHalichoerus grypusSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHarbour porpoise rolling at the surface off Berry Head, DevonHarbour porpoisePhocoena phocoenaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMoon jellyfish in a harbour in Zeeland, NetherlandsMoon jellyfishAurelia aurita and other Aurelia speciesSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedLion's mane jellyfish with long hair-like tentacles, Highland, ScotlandLion's mane jellyfishCyanea capillataSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableOrcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian watersOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData DeficientBlue whale blowing a tall spout off San DiegoBlue whaleBalaenoptera musculusSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasEndangeredSpotted harbor seal lifting its head out of calm waterHarbor sealPhoca vitulinaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo long-finned pilot whales surfacing side by sideLong-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala melasSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernStriped dolphin leaping, dark flank stripe clearly visibleStriped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf minke whaleBalaenoptera acutorostrata (dwarf form)Seen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCuvier's beaked whale surfacing, pale scarred head and small dorsal finCuvier's beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 42 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the seaLeatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerableKemp's ridley turtle nesting female crawling on the beachKemp's ridley turtleLepidochelys kempiiSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredNorth Atlantic right whale head with pale callosities at the surfaceNorth Atlantic right whaleEubalaena glacialisSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredOceanic whitetip shark with pilot fish in sunlit Red Sea waterOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredPortuguese man o' war floating with purple crest off Pico, AzoresPortuguese man o' warPhysalia physalisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedA male northern bottlenose whale lifting its head above the surface in the Gully, Nova Scotia, during a research expeditionNorthern bottlenose whaleHyperoodon ampullatusSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedShortfin mako shark at Condor Bank in the North Atlantic, AzoresShortfin makoIsurus oxyrinchusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlue shark swimming in open blue water off the Azores with a diver in the backgroundBlue sharkPrionace glaucaSeen in 50 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedAngelshark with a flat, mottled brown body swimming just above a sandy seabed in dark waterAngelsharkSquatina squatinaSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredSpiny dogfish resting on the seabed at the Josephine Marie shipwreck, Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuarySpiny dogfishSqualus acanthiasSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic white-sided dolphin leaping clear of the sea, showing its pale flank stripeAtlantic white-sided dolphinLagenorhynchus acutusSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-beaked dolphin surfacing, head and beak at the water lineWhite-beaked dolphinLagenorhynchus albirostrisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFalse catshark about 3 m long, seen in Nihoa Canyon at 1,200 m depth during a NOAA expeditionFalse catsharkPseudotriakis microdonSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAtlantic puffin spreading its wings on a cliff in IcelandAtlantic puffinFratercula arcticaSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasVulnerableMauve stinger jellyfish in Girona, ES-CT, ES, iNaturalist research-grade observationMauve stinger jellyfishPelagia noctilucaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernA single silvery herring angled through deep blue water off Skjervoy, northern NorwayAtlantic herringClupea harengusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-tailed eagle in flight low over calm water with a fish in its talons, near Raftsund, Lofoten, NorwayWhite-tailed eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernCommon smooth-hound swimming just above a sandy seabed, with a slim grey-brown body and two dorsal finsCommon smooth-houndMustelus mustelusSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedWilson's storm-petrel resting on calm water with its wings raised above its backWilson's storm-petrelOceanites oceanicusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a northern gannet face, with pale blue eyes and a golden headNorthern gannetMorus bassanusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScopoli's shearwater skimming just above calm blue waterScopoli's shearwaterCalonectris diomedeaSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeach's storm-petrel in flight over water, wings spread, with a pale patch at the base of the tailLeach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerableManx shearwater banking just above the sea, white underparts and dark upperparts visibleManx shearwaterPuffinus puffinusSeen in 34 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGreat shearwater flying low over calm water, its reflection belowGreat shearwaterArdenna gravisSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernEuropean shag sitting on its nest of dry grass, dark green-tinged plumage and yellow gapeEuropean shagGulosus aristotelisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a small-spotted catshark head, with dark spots, resting on the seabedSmall-spotted catshark (lesser spotted dogfish)Scyliorhinus caniculaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTope shark swimming in clear shallow water, seen from the sideTope shark (school shark)Galeorhinus galeusSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredNorthern fulmar sitting on a cliff ledge, facing the cameraNorthern fulmarFulmarus glacialisSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBluntnose sixgill shark swimming over the seabed at depth in the Gulf of MexicoBluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedKitefin sharkDalatias lichaSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableVelvet belly lanternshark swimming just above a dark seabed, with a violet sheen along its flankVelvet belly lanternsharkEtmopterus spinaxSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableThornback ray swimming over a rocky seabed in shallow green waterThornback rayRaja clavataSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedNursehound resting on a rocky ledge among spongesNursehoundScyliorhinus stellarisSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic torpedo (electric ray)Tetronarce nobilianaSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a double-crested cormorant with an orange-yellow throat patch and a turquoise eyeDouble-crested cormorantPhalacrocorax auritusSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon stingray resting on a bed of seagrass, with its eye and body edge in viewCommon stingrayDasyatis pastinacaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasVulnerableArrowhead dogfishDeania profundorumSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedTwo dark dorsal fins of porbeagle sharks cutting the sea surfacePorbeagleLamna nasusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLongnose velvet dogfishCentroselachus crepidaterSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedLeafscale gulper sharkCentrophorus squamosusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangeredSpotted ray (homelyn ray)Raja montaguiSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlonde ray resting on pebbles in a shallow rock poolBlonde rayRaja brachyuraSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedStarry smooth-houndMustelus asteriasSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBlue skateDipturus batisSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBlackmouth catsharkGaleus melastomusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBirdbeak dogfishDeania calceaSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedPortuguese dogfishCentroscymnus coelolepisSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedLongnosed skateDipturus oxyrinchusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerableUndulate ray resting on the seabed, its wings marked with pale spots and wavy bandsUndulate rayRaja undulataSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedCuckoo rayLeucoraja naevusSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBlack dogfishCentroscyllium fabriciiSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBroadnose skateBathyraja brachyuropsSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSmall-eyed rayRaja microocellataSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedRound skateRajella fyllaeSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSandy rayLeucoraja circularisSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
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