Whale Watch West Cork is a fifteen minute drive from Skibbereen. Their boat, Voyager, is a well equipped, twin engine catamaran, built specifically for whale and dolphin watching tours, licensed to carry twelve passengers. It is fast and stable, with all round excellent visibility. With a toilet on board, and a spacious wheelhouse with seating, passenger comfort is assured. They also have a larger boat which can take up to fifty passengers in great comfort, which is ideal for corporate and private groups. Whale Watch West Cork adheres to strict guidelines designed to minimise any impact on wildlife.
The area is rich in wildlife such as minke, fin and humpback whales, common dolphins and harbour porpoises, seen at different times of the year. They also have regular sightings of Risso's dolphins and bottlenose dolphins. Lucky guests may sight the rarer white beaked dolphins, killer whales and Atlantic white sided dolphins. Common and grey seals may be seen year round. Turtles, blue sharks, basking sharks and unusual sunfish appear at different times during the season. Marine birdlife is abundant on the tours, including gannets, shags, cormorants, kittiwakes, skuas, shearwaters, guillemots, razorbills, peregrine falcons and various species of petrel.
Customers are advised to arrive 20 minutes before the scheduled departure, dress very warmly and bring any food or drink, sunglasses and sunscreen they may require during the tour. Whale Watch West Cork do try and stop at North Harbour, on Cape Clear Island, for a refreshment break, half way through the tour. Cape Clear is Ireland’s most southerly community.
- Providers of thrilling whale and dolphin sightings for groups of up to twelve people.
- They adhere to very strict guidelines to minimise any impact on the wildlife.
- An abundance of marine birds, turtles, shark species and more can also be seen.
Watch for dolphins in these waters which are designated as a Whale & Dolphin Sanctuary since the 1990s.
