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Miami Herald
06-05-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
Pair of apex predators spotted off Irish coast for first time in 2025, video shows
World Pair of apex predators spotted off Irish coast for first time in 2025, video shows A well-known pair of killer whales was recently spotted off the coast of Ireland for the first time in nearly a year, video footage shows. It was also the first killer whale sighting off the country in 2025. Photo from Tatjana Eva, UnSplash A pair of well-known orcas — believed to be the last surviving members of their community — was spotted off the coast of Ireland after going undetected for nearly a year. The marine mammals, named John Coe and Aquarius, were seen near Rathlin Island — located on the northern coast of the Emerald Isle — on May 5, according to a news release from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), a conservation nonprofit. Video footage posted by the group shows one of the orcas, distinguished by its tall dorsal fin, briefly breaching the choppy surface before slipping back below the waves. It's the organization's first confirmed killer whale sighting of 2025, making it 'an important record.' It's also the first time the duo has been documented since July 2024, when they were seen off the Blasket Islands, located on the country's southwest coast, hundreds of miles away. John Coe and Aquarius, both males, are thought to be the only remaining members of the Scottish West Coast Community Group, which had up to 9 members not long ago. Members of the group are differentiated from other orcas by their 'unusual sloping eye patch and larger size,' according to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, a Scottish conservation nonprofit. John Coe is believed to be over 60 years old and Aquarius is assumed to be slightly younger, according to the group. Sightings of John Coe in the area date back to at least the 1980s, when he was spotted in groups of up to 20 animals. But, in recent years, several members of their community have died, while others have disappeared from the record. And no calves have been documented. 'How this group has come so close to extinction, with just two remaining old bulls, in such a relatively short period of time remains something of a mystery,' according to IWDG. Killer whales, which are found throughout the world's oceans, face a number of threats, including entanglements with fishing gear, vessel strikes, oil spills and lack of food from overfishing, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. BR Brendan Rascius McClatchy DC Go to X Email this person Brendan Rascius is a McClatchy national real-time reporter covering politics and international news. He has a master's in journalism from Columbia University and a bachelor's in political science from Southern Connecticut State University.
Miami Herald
28-03-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Deep water whale seen swimming up shallow river in Ireland, photos show. ‘Rare event'
A sperm whale was recently seen swimming in a shallow estuary in Ireland — a rare occurrence that worried conservationists. Fortunately, the large creature 'lived to tell the tale.' The marine mammal — an infrequent visitor to the shores of the Emerald Isle — was spotted in the Waterford Estuary on the morning of March 25, according to a news release from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), a conservation non-profit. The body of water, located on the country's southern coast, connects three rivers to the Celtic Sea. An upriver odyssey Throughout the course of the day, the whale traveled up the coastline, passing a fishing boat, a ferry and a kayaker, occasionally changing directions. Photos show the creature venturing precariously close to the shrub-lined shore, where the water is just a few meters deep. 'These circumstances for good reason tend to bring out the pessimists in us, as experience tells us that sperm whales, at least healthy sperm whales are hardly ever recorded inshore,' IWDG said in the release. Part of the reason for concern is that sperm whales are best equipped to navigate vertically in deep water, so in shallow water, they are effectively swimming blind. As a result, IDWG conservationists scrambled to prepare to assist the animal in case it became stranded. However, they noted that given the size of an adult sperm whale, not much could be done with the exception of palliative care. But, to their delight, the whale was last seen on the afternoon of March 25, appearing to exit the estuary. Since then, there have not been any reported sightings. 'This can only be interpreted as good news, as a whale of this size is unlikely to go unnoticed if it stranded on a local beach, (dead or alive),' the release said. 'Let's keep our fingers crossed.' Rare occurrence Since the IWDG was founded in 1990, it has recorded thousands of sightings of different whale species off Ireland. For example, 5,856 minke whales, 2,111 fin whales and 1,705 humpback whales have been documented. In contrast, just 27 sperm whale sightings have been recorded in the past 35 years, averaging less than one per year. And most of these sightings were made further out in the ocean, making the most recent shallow water sighting quite rare. The reason for this is that sperm whales tend to spend their lives in deeper parts of the ocean. 'Such places are typically a long way offshore, and so from the Irish south coast, you'd need to motor offshore at a good clip for some 8-10 hours before you'd find yourself in the zone…' IWDG said in the release. While out in the open sea, the animals — which can measure up to 52 feet — are known to reach depths of nearly two miles, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While traveling far below the surface, they hunt for squid, skates, sharks and other bottom-dwelling species.
