Fin Whales off the Irish south coast…

The second largest mammal of earth, the mighty fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) is frequently seen in Irish inshore waters during the autumn and winter months. A pelagic species that spends most of their time well offshore; these large baleen whales move into coastal waters off the southern Irish coastline every year in search of the herring shoals on which they feed. Numbers vary each year but Ireland is one of the few locations in the world where fin whales can be seen with a land backdrop as they venture as close as a few hundred meters off the rocky shoreline.