VIDEO: Stunning footage of dolphin ‘super pod’ in West Cork

Hundreds of dolphins spotted enjoying the good weather outside Baltimore Harbour.

VIDEO: Stunning footage of dolphin ‘super pod’ in West Cork

Anyone out on the water yesterday near Baltimore, West Cork, was in for a treat when hundreds of dolphins were spotted breaking the waves near the harbour.

Richard O’Flynn was out in his boat and managed to capture this amazing footage of the super pod "spy-hopping" - breaching the water to have a look around.

Richard and his family followed the dolphins' progress throughout the afternoon, taking them from Baltimore Harbour out to Cape Clear Island.

“The sun was out, the sea was calm. It was hard to make out where the ocean stopped and the sky began", Richard told breakingnews.ie.

"A super pod of common dolphins were feeding and spy-hopping as far as the eye could see.

"At one stage, there were over 30 alone under the bow of the boat riding the bow wave. We stayed with the dolphins for two hours and followed them the whole way out to Cape Clear Island.”

These super pods form when smaller pods of dolphins merge temporarily in places with a high abundance of food. When this happens, numbers can exceed a thousand.

Richard, who runs the Facebook page Best Photos of Baltimore, thinks that his boat must be lucky as this isn't the first time he's managed to film marine mammals up close.

Last November, he was out in the same spot and was lucky enough to get this footage of a humpback whale feeding close to shore, alongside some dolphins. The humpback was bubble-netting - creating a ring of bubbles underwater to trap its prey.

The video ends with a gorgeous shot of the whale diving down into the water, his gigantic tail in the air.

There have been numerous sighting in the area of these aquatic visitors in the last few years. As well as dolphins and humpback whales, there have been reports of minke and fin whales swimming close to the coast.

"Baltimore is fast becoming the whale and dolphin capital of Ireland", says Richard.

If you’re anywhere near the sea this weekend, take advantage of the good weather and get out there. You never know what you might see.

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

Smartwatch with health app. Glowing neon icon on brick wall background Health watch: How much health data is healthy? 
Cork's wild salmon warrior Sally Ferns Barnes looks to the future Cork's wild salmon warrior Sally Ferns Barnes looks to the future
(C)2024 Disney. Disneyland Paris – Disneyland Hotel Re-Opening Watch: Iconic Disneyland Paris hotel re-opens after two year renovation
ieParenting Logo
Writers ieParenting

Our team of experts are on hand to offer advice and answer your questions here

Your digital cookbook

ieStyle Live 2021 Logo
ieStyle Live 2021 Logo

IE Logo
Outdoor Trails

Discover the great outdoors on Ireland's best walking trails

IE Logo
Outdoor Trails

Lifestyle
Newsletter

The best food, health, entertainment and lifestyle content from the Irish Examiner, direct to your inbox.

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited