THREE INDEPENDENT sightings of blue whales have been recorded over the past few days in Irish waters.
The first validated sighting of a blue whale in these waters in 20 years of record-keeping was last Monday by Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) observer Ivan O'Kelly. Mr O'Kelly photographed the mammal 80km (50 miles) off the Kerry coast.
The second sighting was recorded by Bord Iascaigh Mhara area officer Dr Peter Tyndall some 80km south of this position, again on the Porcupine Seabight on Tuesday.
A third sighting was reported by IWDG observer Dave Wall on Wednesday, about 200km west of Achill island on the northern slopes of the Porcupine Bank.
Dr Tyndall said the southwest was "teeming with whales" this week, feeding on krill - tiny shrimp-like species which eat plankton. Weather conditions had facilitated the sightings, he said.
Dr Tyndall was engaged on tuna fishery research in the Porcupine Seabight area.
Mr Wall was on board the State's research ship Celtic Explorerwhen he took a series of photographs of the blue whale's fluke.
The IWDG holds its annual conference this weekend on the smallest whale, the much mhara or harbour porpoise, in Killiney, Co Dublin.