Seal spotting

HarryD

Anyone know where is good to see some seals in Ireland ?
I'm hoping to go kayaking Cork/Kerry, or whererever there is good
marine life..

Cheers,
Ray.

boneless

I don't know about Cork or Kerry but I always see Grey and Common seals along the north Dublin coast. Howth, Skerries and Balbriggan are good spots. They even come into the harbours there.

blackbelt

Dublin and Wicklow are superb for seal spotting.Howth has 17 resident seals that live in the harbour so there you are nearly guaranteed to see them and if not,then kayak up to Balscadden where they usually hunt.This could be more now as I was given that figure by a local last year.

Bray Head and Greystones are good areas too.On 2 recent visits I spotted 2 harbour seals (Greystones harbour),2 fur seals (walking through bray Head),3 porpoises(2 adults and a calf at the back of St Davids School area) and one bottlenose dolphin close to the porpoise sightings.

Dun Laoighaire is also good for seal spotting and I hear dolphins/porpoises are seen occasionally in Sandycove.

Kerry,Cork and Waterford aren't known much for seal sightings but do boast a very large array of dolphin and whale species sightings.

jmkennedyie

In last year I've seen groups of 3/4 seals around South coast of Cape Clear (on good days folks paddle from South to North harbour or vice versa). Also under footbridge at Mizen Head...can't remember which type of seal though...grey I think. But if you are paddling in that part of the world you should keep an eye out to sea for Minke Whales, Porpoises, Common Dolphin, Basking Shark, etc. etc. etc.

blackbelt

Mayo-Galway area is good for dolphins too.Years back I surfed in Carrowmore/Carrowniskey and the dolphins came up through the waves surfing with us and came up checking us out.

It was two worlds meeting each other.Fantastic experience.You won't see too many bottlenose dolphins on the east coast in comparison to the west but the East coast is being cleaned up and this summer we had more mackeral migrating up the east coast which brought dolphins closer to the shore.

A school was observed by Poolbeg Power Station.

qwertz

Dun Laoghaire has numerous seals, especially when the fishing trawlers return. Sometimes you can hear them sing "fishheads, fishheads, roly-poly fishheads...".

wazzoraybelle

The bay is always full of seals and is always real calm. Watch out for the ferrymen though. They seem to believe they own the seals!!

ivanthehunter

Achill island is fairly good for wild life and cool for water sports.

rubadub

I have seen the feeding the seals at bullock harbour, looks like it is frequent, you could ask the lads there who run the boat service.

I see them swimming at the vico baths/hawks cliff on the vico road. There is a foreign woman often there who works looking after them or something, I just overhear them talking about the seals, think she works for a seal sanctury or some official society taking care of them. I saw her once tending to a dead/sick seal on whiterock beach.

Many people go canoeing around vico & whiterock. Porposies there too.

HarryD

Thanks for the replies guys.,
I always thought Ireland was a bit boring on the marine life front,
it seems I was wrong !

wazzoraybelle

You won't be disappointed in Glengariff (west cork). I was there a few weeks ago and there were up to twenty seals (young and old) on the rocks around garnish island. They are quite used to people but will slip back into the water if you get closer than 10 meters or so ( which p!sses of the ferrymen).
Also its just such a beautiful place to paddle around.

The Hill Billy

Skerrie harbour is great for watching seals. Particularly in the summer months when the mackerel are in.

blackbelt

Bull Island can be good for seal spotting too also Portmarnock beach as well.I heard somebody got bit by one while swimming in Portmarnock.

Had to get a tetanus injection afterwards.They may look playful and innocent but be careful.