Basking Sharks South Harbour Cape Clear

2012 April 16th: Basking Shark spotted in the South Harbour at 8.30am. Weather is overcast so we were inside the hostel at the time and spotted it through the lounge windows. The arrival of Basking Sharks in South Harbour is always keenly anticipated and creates a sense of wellbeing (I can't say why, it is simply so!).
Storms are due tomorrow.
The photo below shows the shark through the right hand window pane. It is only a black dot in the photo but it proves we can see them from within the hostel. Close up photos will be uploaded soon.

2012 April 15th: Dolphins spotted from the ferry enroute to Baltimore. 2012 April 14th: A second Basking Shark was spotted on the journey back to Cape near the Gaisceanan Sound. 2012 April 14th:  Basking shark swimming at the entrance to North Harbour. The ferry had to stop to let it pass. It was so close you could almost reach out to touch it! 2012 April 11th: French guests at the hostel reported watching a group of basking sharks swimming below the Cape Clear Lighthouse. 2012 April 11th: We took Kipper our cat off to the vet and were luck to see a Basking Shark at the entrance to the North Harbour as the ferry was departing for Baltimore.

Porpoise

Wednesday 11th May:
On the ferry trip back to Cape Clear a porpoise seemed to follow the ferry for a short while.

Otter

Saturday 7th May:
Steve Wing (Bird Observatory Warden) reports an otter feeding on the small beach of South Harbour.

Basking Shark Breaching off Cape Clear Cliffs

Saturday 7th May:
Two of my regular guests, Mark & Mike, were delighted to see that rare occurrence of a basking shark leaping clear of the water . They report that it was around 15ft long (size determined by a gannet close by).  They had walked to Balaun na naragaun, (cliffs to the right of South Harbour, facing the hostel) and were idly enjoying the peace and quiet when they were surprised by the huge bulk of the shark as it broke free of the sea. 

Basking Sharks & Dolphins

Firstly my apologies as I have been too busy to spend time on my blogs for quite a while - but here we are again ready and raring to report sightings of some of natures most wonderful animals.

News reports say that Basking Sharks have arrived in Irish  waters six weeks earlier than usual, so we await their arrival in the South Harbour of Cape Clear with anticipation.

Reports from guests of the hostel today, 29th April, that at least four dolphins were spotted on the ferry trip from Baltimore to Cape Clear.

This new blog will contain whatever images I can find from the previous years and then will develop as the months roll on.
I welcome photos and videos from guests and friends but they must be of cetaceans around Cape Clear . . October 2010.