Dolphins again in Broadhaven Bay
mayo |
environment |
news report 
Monday October 01, 2007 01:59
by JM
Rossport
Bottlenose dolphins resident in the area
A group of bottlenose dolphins have been sighted all this week in Broadhaven Bay, North Mayo.
The group, today estimated to be around 15-20 in number, were seen just off Rinroe Point overlooking the Bay, among them a number of juveniles including very young calves. The distinctive markings on some of the adult's dorsal fins appear to identify the group as regulars in these waters over the past few years, and along with the young would suggest they may be resident in the area.
Broadhaven Bay is designated as a Special Area of Conservation, and has also recently been included in the new list of important shellfish areas by Green Party Minister Eamon Ryan. Many local people hope the Minister continues his interest in the Erris environment when deciding the fate of Shell's controversial Corrib gas project, which is planning to discharge waste from the proposed reinery into the Bay.
This week's other sightings included a similar number of dolphins at Glengad, near the approach to Sruth Fada Conn, the estuary identified as Shell's preferred location for the first of a series of production pipelines to Bellanaboy.
The presence of this dolphin group highlights the pristine quality of the local waters, and is a reminder of the great potential for clean, green eco-tourism in North Mayo.
