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Dolphin rescued at Fahan
01.07.08
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A DOLPHIN beached at
Fahan Creek last week was rescued and refloated, but
local wildlife ranger Emmet Johnston says that the
young male seemed to be suffering from internal
bleeding and may not survive for long in open water.
The animal was refloated a couple of times but came
ashore again near Fahan Marina before it was finally
refloated in deeper water. “It didn’t seem to want
to go out so I pushed it into deeper water and it
swam off, but I’m worried that it may not survive
for long,” Johnston said. |
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The dolphin was one of
a small group feeding around Inch Island last week
and is part of a large group – or pod – of dolphins
that has been based around the Inishowen coast in
recent months.
Terry Tedstone, an employee at the Fort Dunree
Military Museum, spotted a 15-strong pod of
bottlenose dolphins last Monday week. “There were
visitors here |
at the time and
everyone was very excited to see them,” said the
Inishowen Wildlife Club member. “Earlier in the
summer I spotted a pod of around 30 bottlenose
dolphins and we’ve also seen porpoises in nearby
waters, particularly earlier in the year.”
Buncrana Mayor Dermot McLaughlin, a retired wildlife
ranger, said that three different species of dolphin
have been spotted in the Swilly in recent years. “In
spells of good weather with calm waters, they’re
easier to spot,” he said. “The fact that animals as
big as this come here to feed is a good indicator of
the health of the habitat.”
Dingle has Fungie and he has become a major tourist
attraction, but Lough Swilly may be about to catch
up and Mayor McLaughlin is alert to the tourism
potential of regular dolphin sightings as well as
the presence of other rare species in Inishowen.
“We have such a variety of habitats here that
Inishowen is almost like Ireland in miniature,” he
said. “There are five pairs of Corncrakes between
Buncrana and Dunree and the biggest flock of Choughs
(crow-like birds with red bills and legs) in Ireland
have been hatching their young at Lagg. Inch Lake
and Blanket Nook are amazing, particular with the
geese and ducks there in the winter.”
“There’s great potential here in Inishowen for
observing wildlife and there are a lot of people
interested in this kind of eco-tourism,” McLaughlin
continued. “With education and a lot of effort, we
can create a real year-round tourist attraction.
For more information see
www.iwdg.ie |
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