• DOLPHINS
• BASKING SHARKS
• JELLYFISH
• ANEMONES
• STARFISH
• PUFFINS

DOLPHINS

Ireland has an abundance of dolphins, half of the European population of bottlenose dolphins and more than 27,000 common dolphins live and breed in Irish waters.

There are about 130 bottlenose dolphins resident in the Shannon estuary and recent research by the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group has shown that these animals are actually genetically distinct from other dolphins in Irish waters. What this means is that these dolphins only breed with other dolphins in the estuary and probably protect their territory from outside dolphins.

BASKING SHARKS

Basking Sharks have been around since before dinosaurs roamed the earth! Every spring they show up all around the Irish coast but are particularly concentrated on the coasts from Donegal to Kerry.

At ten metres and five tonnes, they are the second largest fish in our seas... Basking Sharks are filter feeders, eating just plankton, they are the gentle giants of the sea and are completely harmless to man.

Basking Sharks cruise slowly... passing water through their impressive gills... They can pass up to 1.5 million litres of water through their mouths every hour, the equivalent of two Olympic sized swimming pools. Their livers run almost the entire length of their abdomen and are filled with oil.

They were hunted to the brink of extinction in Irish waters in the early part of the 20th century and these fisheries actually then funded the early whaling station on Ireland's coast.

JELLYFISH

Of all the creatures we see in Ireland, few instil a sense of grace and fear in equal measure more than a jellyfish.

While many people jump out of the water on seeing jellyfish, it's worth knowing that our most common one, Moon jellyfish do not sting.

Jellyfish thrive in the plankton-rich Irish waters where they swim with the currents to get to the best feeding locations.

In Ireland our most common species are Moon, Compass, Blue and Lion's Mane. However in recent years there has been a worrying rise in more dangerous species such as Pelagia Noctiluca sometimes called Mauve Stingers, they carry a powerful sting with which they have destroyed entire fish farms.

ANEMONES

Although they may look like plants these creatures are in fact aminals complete with a central nervous system. Anemones are named after colourful land based plants and there are dozens of different types of anemones living in all areas of our seas.

Jewel anemones come in sparkling and vibrant colours. However in the natural world vivid colours normally signify danger. Most anemones hold toxins which they use to paralyse prey such as small crabs and even fish, below is a dahlia anemone digesting a moon jellyfish.

STARFISH

Most people will recognise these creatures, but what people may not realise is that starfish aren't fish at all... they belong to a family known as echinoderms which means 'spiny skin' Their family includes other creatures such as urchins and sea cucumbers.

Starfish come in all colours and sizes and some have can live for up to thirty years.

Under their arms are dozens of short feet and suckers... which allow them to move around at deceptive speeds... starfish have an ingenious method of pumping water through their feet, almost like a jet which helps them glide over any surface. They also have tiny eyes on their feet and although their sight is not great, they can distinguish light.

Starfish will eat pretty much anything they come across... in fact they will even eat each other! On the left you can see two starfish eating a moon jellyfish, many times their size.

They can decimate huge areas of kelp by eating the roots and large groups can destroy entire mussels colonies in just a few days... leaving vast tracts of empty shells.

PUFFINS

Ireland has always had an abundant population of puffins. They are incredibly tough birds who have adapted to live almost their entire lives on the open sea, far from the nearest land. These hardy seafarers live up to forty years and spend eight months of every year at sea, but they must come ashore to have their young.

Every spring when their beaks and feet turn a bright orange colour, they know it's time to breed; they navigate their way back to the island to within inches from where they themselves were hatched.

Unusually, they nest in burrows … if a rabbit hole is available they'll use it, otherwise they'll dig a hole themselves… The female lays a single egg, which both she and the male will incubate for roughly forty days. They feed their chick until the end of July and then take off for the open sea when he is sufficiently nourished.