Watch: Humpback whales put on a show off the coast of Kerry
Safari Picture: Humpback Surfacing Dingle Whales Seen Seán Dingle Jimmy Collins, And Sea Flannery In
"I called it a day before, I said it to one of the skippers, 'I said Sean, the way the feed is and the day, I think we are going to see humpbacks tomorrow'. And sure enough, two animals showed up."
Those were the words of Jimmy Flannery from Dingle Sea Safari who led a tour that spotted a pair of humpback whales in Dingle over the weekend. Stunning images of the whales show them surfacing, giving viewers a rare treat.
Humpback whales, which are migrating animals, are often seen in Irish seas between March and September. Whether or not people get a sighting of them can depend on a number of factors including sea and weather conditions as well as the presence of feed.
Mr Flannery, who had previously been running trips to see Fungi the Dolphin for over 30 years before the animal disappeared, said: "You can never guarantee what you are going to see on the trip."
"Humpbacks show up every year, regardless," Mr Flannery told the
"We've been running the safari for eight years, and there hasn't been a year where we haven't come across the humpback at some stage," he said.
However, seeing humpbacks is rare as they do not show up as regularly as other sea mammals such as dolphins and fin whales.
"Our trip isn't a whale-watching tour, we don't advertise it as such, but there is always a chance.
"Some years they are a little bit further out, and some years they come a little further in, and when they are further in, like where we were [on Sunday], that's when we get to see them."
Among the humpback whales, the second largest animal, a fin whale and common dolphins were seen in the waters that day, according to Mr Flannery.