Sightings of whales underway

If you see people on clifftops along the south and west coasts, with cameras, long lenses and binoculars from now until the early autumn, you can take it they’re almost certainly on the lookout for some of the biggest creatures found in the sea, writes Donal Hickey

Whales, basking sharks and relatively common dolphins can all be seen and people are now travelling specifically to the West Cork, Kerry, Clare and Galway coastlines specifically to view these giant creatures close-up.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) recorded its first humpback whale of the 2016 large whale season, on April 9, at Valentia Island. This sighting was of an adult that surfaced among large numbers of gannets and newly-arrived manx shearwaters within 150 yards of the cliffs at Bray Head.