Upwardly mobile dolphins settle in SoCoDu

MOVE OVER Fungi, there’s a new dolphin in town, or rather dolphins.

The three Killiney dolphins who have made Dublin Bay their home came to wider attention last year when they were photographed with the backdrop of a snow-covered Dalkey Island. The dolphins, all adults, first appeared in the Bay in August 2010 and have been recorded swimming and feeding in the area every month since. It now appears that they’ve made the Dalkey-Killiney area their permanent home. We’ve always known dolphins were smart, but who thought they had such a sharp knowledge of desirable property locations?

Dr Simon Berrow, co-ordinator of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, says they have recorded increased sightings of bottlenose dolphins all along the east coast, and that we have some of the highest concentrations of bottlenose dolphins in Europe.

“It would be fascinating to get a sample of the Killiney dolphins to see who they’re related to,” Berrow says, referring to groups of dolphins in Cork Harbour and the Shannon Estuary.

So far, little is known about the Killiney dolphins, although two of them have distinct markings making them easy to identify. Berrow believes they have taken up residence in Killiney due to fertile feeding in the area. “There could be good mullet in the area. These adult dolphins are about 300kg in weight and need to eat 20 to 30lbs of food a day, so there has to be good feed there.”

As for the public’s interaction with the dolphins, Berrow advises, “Respect them, give them space, don’t harass them. We’d encourage people to go see them, but we’d discourage people swimming with them. Just respect that they’re wild animals.”