December 01st, 2013

Reen Harbour , Union Hall West Cork

One of the all time highlights for any aficionado of the natural world is to witness the grace and beauty of a whale. On a bracing Saturday morning aboard the Holy Jo we embarked on a crystal clear day from Reen Pier, Union Hall in West Cork. The viewing precedent had included an otter, harbour porpoises, common dolphins, minke whales and fin whales.

Colin, our skipper is passionate about the whales. This is not a tourist boat, but a boat run by a committed and avid whale enthusiast. He strives to give his customers some of the top whale watching sights and he delivers a stunning experience.

Chasing gannet flurries on the horizon I felt like Tintin on an adventure that evoked comic books of my youth. We sighted gannet activity and drove through the aqua marine water. The water was spitted with diving gannets; white bullets. Common dolphins circled the sprat balls and we witnessed a lunge feed by a fun whale, displaying its pectoral fin.

While in pursuit of wildlife, common dolphins, around 20 in number, rode the bow wave in sheer pleasure. The most amazing thing was that if you leant over you could her their high-pitched calls to each other. In my excitement I lost my lens hood!

This is a truly magical experience and it would be great if all those who love Irish wildlife can promote this ecotourism  hotspot on  our emerald isle. The jewels are swimming not far off our coast.
Here's the link to the Facebook page for Cork Whale Watching

https://www.facebook.com/CorkWhaleWatch?fref=ts