Dolphin watching

Long before dolphin watching was a popular activity for tourists, dolphins helped sailors. They led ships to safe harbor in ancient Greece and New Zealand in the 19th century. They became safety symbols and a sign of climate change. Today, you can be part of a dolphin surveillance group in many parts of the world. This is ecotourism.

In the United Kingdom, dolphin sightings have increased in importance over the last 20 years. In some areas it has replaced jet ski rental as a popular means of stay. You can arrange to see different species of dolphins on the shores of Ireland and Scotland.

Ireland

If you are planning a dolphin monitoring trip to Ireland, go to Clare County. At the mouth of the beautiful Shannon River you have the opportunity to see bottle dolphins. They add between 100 and 140. The expedition involves boarding a spacious ship and going to the estuary. A hydrophone helps you listen to dolphins. The trip from the Loop Head Peninsula takes about 2 hours. Afterwards you can visit some of the local villages, for example. Carrigaholt, which has a 15th-century castle, built by the McMahons. Once the scene of lively naval battles, the city quietly enjoys the coast and is a charming commercial city.

Seeing dolphins in Ireland is also possible in West Cork. Here you can see the common short-nosed dolphin. You can see, amazed, while performing his pranks, surfing the ship's bow. In Kerry County, you can see one of the most famous dolphins in the country: Fungie. A bottle-dolphin arrived in Dingle Bay in the 1980s and has remained there ever since. Tourist boats will take you to Fungie and the trip will last about an hour.

Dolphin monitoring is also possible from ships sailing in Kenmare Town, Cloyne, Sherkin Island, Union Hall, Baltimore, Castletownbere, Kilrush, Cork City, Heir Island, Cobb, Dunquin and Whitegate.

Scotland

Scotland has several places where dolphin watching is a great pleasure. A tour of dolphin surveillance leaves Inverness to navigate Moray Firth, the wedge-shaped bay that defines the east coast of the Scottish Highlands. There are more than 100 dolphins swimming and living in this estuary.

Moray Firth is actually the dolphin breeding site furthest from Northern Europe. The Moray Firth Wildlife Center is an excellent starting point for organizing a tour to see these wonderful acrobatic creatures. You can also arrange events to navigate to the Isle of Mull. Here you can observe Rissos dolphins and common dolphins.