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Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus)
Míol Mór Gorm
The blue whale is widespread but rarely sighted in the
northeast Atlantic. It is recorded acoustically each year
migrating along the western seaboard of Ireland. A single blue
whale was reported in the deep waters off Rockall Trough in
May 2001. On 15 and 17 September 2008 two confirmed but
separate sightings of single blue whales were recorded on the
slopes of the Porcupine Seabight and the NW slopes of
Porcupine Bank. One animal was photographed for photoidentification
and had not been previously recorded in the
North Atlantic. There are eight stranding records dating back
to the 18th century but none since 1957.
1
>1-10
>10-50
>50-100
>100
Figure 27. All casual sightings from ISCOPE II (2006-2009). Figure 28. All stranding records up to 2009.
Blue whale off the west coast of Ireland. Photograph © Ivan O’Kelly.
Irish Cetacean Review 2000-2009
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