ZIG ZAG visits Loughshinny
On a fine September morning, ZIG ZAG and crew took off down the east coast of Ireland for a visit to Loughshinny, County Dublin - just south of Skerries. A far wind and favourable tide accompanied us South, with pleasant sailing conditions. Off Clougherhead, 2 close sightings of a Fin Whale were made....not 30 yards away.
Loughshinny was reached at 6.45 pm, anchoring up in the pleasant, sheltered bay, on a sandy bottom. Damian then caught the smallest Whiting on the planet followed by a double-sided Dab, with full brown colouration on both side - a 1 in 85,000 event. The following morning we left for the return journey at 8.45 am, after a visit ashore to Loughshinny village. A fruitless hunt for the Yacht Bar was made - found out afterwards that it shut in 2009 !!
On the return journey, just S of Clougherhead, we saw frantic bird activity with Gannets and Arctic Skua's and numerous other species. As we headed towards this aerial activity, in search of fish....BINGO !! Whales !!! Over the next couple of hours we had ELEVEN confirmed sightings of up to 3 big Fin Whales - some very close. However, no full breaching.
The Fin Whale is the second biggest cetacean species in the ocean, only bettered by the Blue Whale, and one of the commonest seen off the Irish coast - usually further south off Wexford and Cork. GPS Lat and Long co-ordinates were recorded to pass on to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group website.
Approaching Carlingford
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