[Image: Myles Carroll Photography]

THE SOUTH EAST coast has long been a popular spot for whale and dolphin spotters — and last weekend was a particularly rewarding one for enthusiasts, with a 30 to 40 strong pod of dolphins sighted off Hook Head in Co Wexford.

Amongst their number was the dolphin pup pictured above — photographer Myles Carroll snapped a variety of action shots featuring the mammal, swimming alone and in the company of its older ‘school-mates’.

January and February are a busy time for whale watching in the area; in recent days several fin whales were also spotted. Second only to the blue whale in terms of size, the mammals were seen around three miles off Brownstown Head.

“The area’s definitely grown in popularity over the last few years as more people hear about it,” the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group‘s Deirdre Slevin told TheJournal.ie.

“The whales tend to follow the herring which is why you’d have an increase in sightings in January and February as there would be more herring around.”

The IWDG is organising a whale & dolphin spotting expedition off Hook Head this Saturday aboard the Celtic Mist — Charlie Haughey’s former yacht, which was donated to the group by the former Taoiseach’s family in 2012.

You can email celticmist@iwdg.ie for further information.