People can help gather fascinating knowledge about whales and dolphins in Irish coastal waters by participating in Whale Watch Day this Saturday.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), which monitors whale and dolphin movements around the country's coast, have selected six sites for whale watching.
"People can make a real contribution to the conservation and welfare of whales and dolphins in Irish waters by adopting their local headland as a "whalewatching" site, said Dr Simon Berrow, chairman of the group, which has been active for 10 years.
Irish waters contain a "very rich" population of whales. "Because they don't see them, people very often don't think they're there," he said.
Almost a quarter of the world's whale species have been seen in the country's waters, said Dr Berrow. This is due to the "diversity of habitat" available.
Arctic species often travel south and Mediterranean species move north, creating a varied mix of species around the coast, said Dr Berrow.
Dr Berrow said the most common species of whale viewed in the country's waters were the minke whale and the fin whale.
Several species of dolphin have also been seen. On an average of one in three trips on the DART from Greystones, if the weather is clear, harbour porpoises can be seen in Killiney bay, he said.
People who take part in whalewatching day, which organisers hope will become an annual event, "can build up a better understanding of what creatures inhabit the sea in their neighbourhood", said Dr Berrow.
The sites are: Howth Head, Co Dublin; Hook Head, Co Wexford; the Old Head of Kinsale, Co Cork; Loop Head, Co Clare; Kilcummin Head, Co Mayo; and Ramore Head, Co Antrim. Further information is available at http://iwdg.ucc.ie
The IWDG said its members will be at the sites to help watchers and provide information on sea mammals.