Whale in Galway Bay

Discodog

I have just spent a mesmerising half hour on Spiddal Prom watching a Whale breaching in the bay. Someone from Spiddal was out in a fishing boat with it. Anyone else see it ?

skelliser

what kind of whale and by breaching do you mean jumping or just coming up for air?

mind head out for this with the camera if its worth it

Discodog

Smallish Baleen but to far out to identify - especially as I, for once, didn't have binoculars with me !. Very blunt "nose"/head. It was breaching up to about 80% out of the water & then landing flat with a huge splash. Also blowing occasionally. It appeared to head out towards Fanore but changed directions several times. One minute it was ahead of the boat & behind the next.

seawolf145

Discodog wrote: »

I have just spent a mesmerising half hour on Spiddal Prom watching a Whale breaching in the bay. Someone from Spiddal was out in a fishing boat with it. Anyone else see it ?

Great meat anyone catch it?

skelliser

so its gone over to fanore or is still around?

Discodog

Don't know I am back home now.

Robbo

**** you whale. **** you dolphin.

Mr.Mister

I'm sure he had a whale of a time in Spiddal.

Irishmarinelife

OP, you serious? Sounds like humpback whale activity you are describing, pretty cool if there is one in Galway Bay. Let these guys know asap http://iwdg.ie/iscope/sightings/report.asp?id=46

A humpback was spotted in Dublin a few weeks ago and heaps of activity around Waterford last November, hope it sticks around!

Discodog

Definitely not Humpback - no where near that big !. The breaching was not vertical. The body stayed horizontal with the tail in the water. It looked quite like a Dolphin breach except for the belly flop & big splash.

Just been for a walk west of Spiddal & no sign of it.

cranky bollix

Discodog wrote: »

Definitely not Humpback - no where near that big !. The breaching was not vertical. The body stayed horizontal with the tail in the water. It looked quite like a Dolphin breach except for the belly flop & big splash.

Just been for a walk west of Spiddal & no sign of it.

was just about to go out for a look

po0k

pix/video, cameraphone or otherwise?

Knowing nothing about whales, wouldn't it be in a pod of some size, unless it's a juveile who's out catching the aprés-races vibe?

Steyr

I like Marine life etc but for the life of me i cant understand whats so special about seeing that come up for Oxygen??

pleasant Co.

Steyr wrote: »

I like Marine life etc but for the life of me i cant understand whats so special about seeing that come up for Oxygen??

Ah sure whatever is special about it is in the eye of the beholder, probably cool to get photos of.

Blinking_Badger

Steyr wrote: »

I like Marine life etc but for the life of me i cant understand whats so special about seeing that come up for Oxygen??

Are you being serious? Maybe its something to do with the fact that most of us will rarely see this happening in the wild...............

Hope (s)he sticks around for a while.

opinion guy

.

Steyr

Blinking_Badger wrote: »

Are you being serious?

Absolutely.

Xiney

??

Xiney

opinion guy wrote: »

Mary Harney out for a swim ?

oh goddamnit. beat to the joke while I was rabidly photoshopping.

opinion guy

Xiney wrote: »

oh goddamnit. beat to the joke while I was rabidly photoshopping.

Your photo shop was far better so i took mine away:D

seawolf145

Xiney wrote: »

??

Anyone have a harpoon?

Head The Wall

Blinking_Badger wrote: »

Are you being serious? Maybe its something to do with the fact that most of us will rarely see this happening in the wild...............

Hope (s)he sticks around for a while.

I'll second that, went whale watching in Boston. One of the most boring days of my life

nerophis

Something like this guy? A Minke Whale- the white markings on flukes are the identifier usually about 5-8m in length. Reasonably common around the shore and often breaches

Discodog

Definitely not a Minke. The front of the head was blunt & square. It was reported to the IDWG so hopefully someone will post pics.

cranky bollix

so has there been anymore sightings of this whale or any whales for the matter around galway bay recently

muskyj

Xiney wrote: »

??

I think we're going to need a bigger boat!

jimclots

I have been seeing this whale for the last few weeks. I am the captain of one of the ferries running between Rossaveal and the Aran Islands. I wasn't sure if it even was a whale or just a fat dolphin. Hard to tell when all you see is his back as he comes up to breath. Until this evening. About 50 yards off my Port bow he breached. Straight up out of the water and fell back with a MASSIVE splash. And he did it 8 or 10 times. One of the passengers recorded him on his phone and gave me the footage. Unfortunately I can not upload it here.
Add this to the fact that there is now a resident dolphin in Inis Oirr and I am almost at Marine Mammal overload.
And I still have np idea what kind of whale it is.

biko

This thread thread is 4 years old but feck it, lets go whale watching.

jimclots

Maybe he is back for a visit.

MadYaker

That pic of Brian Cowen :pac:

gammygils

Yep. Went fishing in Spiddal once & caught a whale!

A Whale o' a bike! :pac:
Still have it! That was 4 years ago!

gordongekko

jimclots wrote: »

I have been seeing this whale for the last few weeks. I am the captain of one of the ferries running between Rossaveal and the Aran Islands. I wasn't sure if it even was a whale or just a fat dolphin. Hard to tell when all you see is his back as he comes up to breath. Until this evening. About 50 yards off my Port bow he breached. Straight up out of the water and fell back with a MASSIVE splash. And he did it 8 or 10 times. One of the passengers recorded him on his phone and gave me the footage. Unfortunately I can not upload it here.
Add this to the fact that there is now a resident dolphin in Inis Oirr and I am almost at Marine Mammal overload.
And I still have np idea what kind of whale it is.

Upload it to YouTube and post the link here.

Tiercel Dave

gordongekko wrote: »

Upload it to YouTube and post the link here.

Don't think he's allowed post 'links' either! Dave

metroburgers

jimclots wrote: »

I have been seeing this whale for the last few weeks. I am the captain of one of the ferries running between Rossaveal and the Aran Islands. I wasn't sure if it even was a whale or just a fat dolphin. Hard to tell when all you see is his back as he comes up to breath. Until this evening. About 50 yards off my Port bow he breached. Straight up out of the water and fell back with a MASSIVE splash. And he did it 8 or 10 times. One of the passengers recorded him on his phone and gave me the footage. Unfortunately I can not upload it here.
Add this to the fact that there is now a resident dolphin in Inis Oirr and I am almost at Marine Mammal overload.
And I still have np idea what kind of whale it is.

I can post up the video for you, if you send me it via dropbox/email! Send me a Private Message if interested!

_Whimsical_

metroburgers wrote: »

I can post up the video for you, if you send me it via dropbox/email! Send me a Private Message if interested!

Please do this!