Pod of whales expected to remain off Mayo coast for some time
A humpback whale spotted off the coast near the Céide Fields. Picture: Brendan Quinn
An area off the coast of North Mayo - currently being visited by a pod of humpback whales - could potentially become a ‘safe area’ for marine wildlife, according to an Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) volunteer.
Brendan Quinn, from Gort, who was previously the director of the IWDG, visited north-west Mayo recently to view three humpback whales swimming near Dún Briste and the Céide Fields. The whales were first spotted by a local IWDG volunteer, Tom Breathnach. Mr Quinn said their arrival was "a good news story" for the whole area.
“An eminent scientist in this area, Dr Conor Ryan, once said whales are the number one indicator of the state of health of the ocean,” said Mr Quinn. “They are telling us by coming here the state of the ocean on the west coast of Ireland is healthy.”
Mr Quinn said there is great potential for the seas off the coast of north-west Mayo to become a safe area for marine life.
He said there are protected areas in the south-west of the country ‘teeming’ with whales and dolphins and this brings benefits to tourism and local ecology.
“In the era of discussion on marine-protected areas, there’s no doubt that if you build it, they will come. If you provide an area where fish are safe to breathe without fear of being hoovered up and fed to fish farms and conduct fishing with moderation, it has multiple benefits.”
He said such an arrangement would not negatively affect local fishermen to a great extent and would be beneficial to them in the long run.
“Stopping fishing in a small area does not stop fishing and, if anything, it improves the catch for all fisherman, especially local and in-shore fishermen.”
Mr Quinn said the whales would remain in the area for some time for those who wished to see them and said they added to the "natural history" of the area around the Céide Fields.
