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Rare Sighting of Endangered Whale Off Ireland’s Coast

For the first time in over a century, a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale has been spotted off Ireland’s coast. Adrian Maguire, a holidaymaker from County Tyrone, was fishing for mackerel in McSwynes Bay, County Donegal, when he saw the massive whale.

Maguire and his companions watched in awe as the whale surfaced, sharing how unforgettable the experience was. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said, describing the hour-long encounter with his wife and friends. The sound of the whale’s blowing was a highlight for Maguire.

Conor Ryan, an honorary research fellow at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, expressed initial skepticism about the sighting due to the rarity of such occurrences. North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with fewer than 400 remaining, typically found off the east coast of North America. Their European population dwindled long ago due to whaling.

Ryan and his team confirmed the sighting after examining photographs and video footage that revealed the whale’s distinctive white callosities. This sighting is only the third recorded in European waters since the late 1990s, with previous appearances near Norway and the Azores.

Pádraig Whooley from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) described the event as “wonderful” and noted that efforts are underway to identify the individual whale using its unique markings. The IWDG has contacted the New England Aquarium, which maintains a catalog of North Atlantic right whales.

The IWDG advises anyone who encounters the whale to maintain a respectful distance. The species has suffered significant losses due to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear, mainly along the east coasts of the U.S. and Canada. This unsustainable rate of decline has hindered their recovery efforts.