Marine Tours from Ventry to the Blasket Islands, Dingle Peninsula, Kerry, Ireland

After a long, wet and windy winter, February 12th dawned bright and calm and we got the chance to take to the water and take a first exploratory trip around the Blaskets and Dingle Bay aboard our friend Nick Massett's RIB.

Whale and dolphin activity slows down considerably during the winter month, with only sporadic sightings of harbour porpoises and common dolphins around the area.

Nevertheless, a local fisherman recently reported a possible minke whale sighting, and last year we spotted Risso's dolphins north of the Great Blasket island as early as the middle of March so having  a good look around seemed a worthwhile way to spend a beautiful day in February.

While any cetacean ( whale and dolphin) activity proved elusive on that trip, we were delighted to come across our first puffins of the season ( still in their less colourful winter plumage) and several Manx shearwater.

Witnessing the return of these migratory birds to our shores gives us a great feeling of spring arriving and we are looking forward to the beginning of our season in April.

Last April we were blessed with beautifully calm and sunny weather and astounding sightings of basking sharks, minke whales, porpoises and common dolphins.

Our Eco Marine Tours will commence on April 1st, weather permitting, and we are looking forward to again enjoy the wonderful biodiversity of seabirds, fish and cetaceans in the waters in Dingle Bay.