Sea

Fin Whale
Courtesy of Daragh Breen

Fin Whale Rainbow
Courtesy of Daragh Breen

The fin whale is the second largest living animal on the planet, the blue whale being the largest. 70-80 feet in length, the blow of the fin whale is impressive, reaching 20 feet and making the fin whale visible from quite a distance on a calm day. This species is commonly sited off the coast of West Cork. The whale in this photo was one of a group of 3-4 which included at least one calf. A single calf is born every 2-3 years and the IWDG considers the resumption of commercial whaling to be the biggest single threat to the conservation of this species: the global population has suffered great losses in the past from commercial whaling. Depletion of fish stocks is also a concern however. For more information, go to www.iwdg.ie.