Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
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Mission Statement
The IWDG is... "Dedicated to the conservation and better understanding of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Irish waters, through study, education and interpretation." The IWDG is Ireland’s leading marine conservation NGO, and was established in 1990. The IWDG is a registered charity and was awarded charitable status in 2000 (No. CHY11163). Our membership reflects a broad spectrum of people from throughout the island of Ireland and abroad, who share our passion for whales and dolphins.
About This Cause
The IWDG carry out monitoring, research, education and awareness programs, aimed at improving the conservation status of cetaceans and raising their profile in the media and among the public. We retain a strong scientific basis in order to be effective. The core work of the IWDG is co-ordination of the Irish Cetacean sightings and strandings schemes, which encourage reporting from the general public. To date (2022) we have documented over 40,000 validated sighting records and 5,000 stranding records. All these data are accessible on www.iwdg.ie. IWDG carry out long-term monitoring from key inshore sites. As part of our commitment to monitor all Irish waters we also carry out monthly surveys on the following Irish Sea ferry routes: Rosslare-Pembroke, Dublin-Holyhead and Larne – Cairnryan routes. We increasingly use ships of opportunity to survey deep diving species such as sperm and beaked whales in continental shelf-edge waters. IWDG also have strong relationships with third level institutions such as GMIT and state agencies such as the Marine Institute with whom we are partners on several projects. We are increasingly using research techniques such as photo identification, biopsy sampling and acoustic monitoring, to gain a better understanding of the ecology, distribution and status of the 24 cetacean species which have been recorded to date in Irish waters. The results of IWDG research is published in peer reviewed journals. To promote our schemes the IWDG run a range of workshops and courses which include topics such as whale-watching, species identification, survey methodolgy and live-stranding best practice. During the summer we deliver a series of popular Whale Watching Weekend courses on Cape Clear Island, designed to introduce people to cetacean ecology, and field skills required to locate, observe and identify them. Every summer IWDG hosts Whale Watch Ireland, this free All Ireland, event attracts thousands of whale watchers to headlands throughout the Island. Key IWDG personnel are on the panel of Heritage Specialists working on the Heritage in Schools scheme and regularly visit primary schools. The emphasis on education is important if we are to continue to engage the public in our successful recording schemes.