Have the humpbacks returned to Donegal Bay?

By Mark O’Connor - Donegal Bay Conservation Trust

Last Sunday we were super lucky to welcome new visitor to Donegal Bay, humpback whale #131. The number tells us that this was the 131st individual humpback whale to be photographed, identified and added to the Irish catalogue by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group.

While this Humpback was identified in Kerry back in 2024, Sunday was it’s very first confirmed sighting in Donegal Bay, and we were only delighted to see it. However, both the sighting and the identification involved a fairly impressive series of events.

The Trust had two community education surveys taking place that morning.

Marine ecologist and educator Siún Ní Cheallaigh was leading a boat-based citizen science survey aboard Kiwi Girl, with Trust Co-Founders Declan and Mark also onboard, along with 10 ‘Guardians’ of the Trust.
At the same time, three of the finest spotters in the northwest were watching from Mullaghmore, on a scheduled headland watch led by biologist and all round lovely human, Rossa Meade, and her fancy telescope.

And that’s not all….. the bay was also graced by a bit of a dream-team RIB trio, with the infamous Brendan, Gary and Marcus, three of Ireland’s most experienced marine mammal spotters. They ventured out from Mullaghmore to see what they could see at sea, all aboard Brendan’s lucky orange boat.

“After scanning the bay for more than an hour and a half, we had only found small groups of common dolphins. Just as it seemed our search might end without a major sighting, I turned my scope towards the southern edge of Inishmurray Island. There, I spotted a blow, followed by the unmistakable arched back and fluke of a humpback whale”
– Rossa Meade

So, full points went to the eagle-eyed headland team of Rossa, Michael and Molly, as they caught first sight of the humpback in choppy seas, before quickly sharing the general location with the boat crews almost immediately (super sound!).

Both Kiwi Girl and the RIB (rigid inflatable boat) then moved towards the area, in hope of finding the animal and to carefully gather photographs for identification and research.

After many many minutes searching amongst the waves and whitecaps, and with constant guidance from scope wizard Rossa, we eventually picked up the tall bushy blow which is characteristic of a humpback. Not long after the whale then gave us the treat we needed, lifting its tail fluke clear of the water, and Siún got the perfect photo.

More impressively, Siún recognised and identified the whale in the field within minutes, as #131, an animal she had photographed during its original identification two years earlier

"I first encountered HBIRL131 on the 16th July 2024 in Dingle Bay. We saw a breach in the distance and rushed over as quickly as we could. When we got as far as the whale it had given up on breaching, but it fluked well enough for me to snap a photograph of the underside of its tail. With this photo, Pádraig Whooley, Sightings Officer from the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, quickly confirmed it as a new humpback to the Irish catalogue and the 131st humpback to be identified in Irish waters. You get attached to the whales and dolphins you photograph, especially when they are catalogued, and you're always wondering where they'll appear next. So, when we found a humpback in Donegal Bay yesterday, the second it lifted its tail above the water I knew I had seen it before! A quick check of my 2024 images confirmed it was indeed HBIRL131 once again”
- Siún Ní Cheallaigh

HBIRL131 was observed again the following day, 20th July, on the south side of the bay, beyond Inishmurray Island. It was also then later observed breaching (jumping out of the water) by Brendan, el president of the RIB trio.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group confirmed that this was the first recording of this individual outside the Dingle Bay area, and this latest sighting means it has now been recorded in Irish waters in three consecutive years: 2024, 2025 and 2026.

So, have the humpbacks returned?

That is the big question, but I don’t believe it’s one we can answer just yet.

HBIRL131’s does arrival feels significant, particularly after 20 days without a confirmed humpback sighting in the bay. However, one lovely big whale does not suggest the beginning of a busy season. It may be the start of something, it may suggest that there is food, or it may simply be another animal popping into Donegal Bay for a brief look around, a feed, and a few jumps.

Looking back, 2026 has been a bit of a slow burn in terms of big blubber in the bay. Three humpbacks were reported in the outer bay during May, but none could be individually identified or were seen again. Then, on 15th June, the wonderful Rossa Meade spotted a humpback from Mullaghmore at a remarkable distance of more than 15 kilometres. Her sighting no doubt inspired Declan Kilgannon of Kiwi Girl who then photographed and identified our first known humpback of the year a few days later, as HBIRL102.

#102 has become something of a familiar face. This was its third year in Donegal Bay in the past four years, and its fifth year recorded in Ireland since 2020. It was seen several more times this year, up to 29th June. Since then, it’s either really good at hide and seek, or it has moved on, but I think most of us are expecting to see it back soon, as it has previously shown us that Donegal Bay may be more than a brief stopover location on its travels.

In 2024, #102 remained in the area for an extraordinary 101 days, which wasn't an isolated case either. Humpback #139 had shown the same site fidelity, being recorded in the bay for at least 98 days in 2025. The more we learn, the more it seems these whales are not simply passing through, they are choosing to spend time here.

Island wide, 2026 has been a slow year for humpbacks. So in that context, Donegal Bay is doing well. Donegal Bay Trust have helped to record several animals, confirmed two individuals, and documented the first known movement of HBIRL131 beyond its usual Dingle Bay range. That is worth celebrating.

However it is also worth asking what the quieter season means. Are the whales feeding elsewhere? Are prey conditions different? Is this simply a slow year, or are we seeing a change in how humpbacks use Irish waters? ….and that’s not to mention all this talk about a potentially record-breaking El Niño event.

Personally, and with a local perspective, I worry that Donegal Bay was the most heavily fished bay in the country last year, with some of the largest vessels targeting some of the smallest fish, the very forage fish that humpbacks and other whales come here to feed on. These fish enter the bay to spawn, replenishing the next generation. Removing large numbers of them at this critical stage risks reducing future populations, with consequences that can ripple through the entire marine food web. What affects these small fish ultimately affects everything above them, from inshore fishermen to whales, seabirds and the wider life of the bay.

Perhaps that is why Sunday's sighting felt so important. It wasn't just about the whale, it was about the people who care enough to watch, record and better understand this place. Members of the local community learning together on the water, experienced spotters watching and recording from land, everyone sharing information, and the one photograph connected a whale in Donegal Bay with its story in Dingle two years earlier.

So, let's wait and see if the humpbacks have returned to Donegal Bay. Or perhaps the better question is, what will their return look like?

For now, HBIRL131 has given us a hopeful nudge rather than a definite answer. I know that all the Donegal Bay Trust community are genuinely excited for the season ahead, and grateful to everyone who watches, records, photographs and shares what they see.

All sightings of whales, dolphins and basking sharks can be reported to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. Even a brief sighting may become an important part of the story. https://report.iwdg.ie/

Update – 23rd July 2026

Nature has a lovely habit of making an article out of date almost as soon as it is published.

Since writing this piece, Donegal Bay has been graced by six individually identified humpback whales in the last 5 days. We now know that HBIRL009, HBIRL023, HBIRL077, HBIRL102 and HBIRL131 are all in the bay right now, alongside one additional individual awaiting confirmation on ID, but suspected to be HBIRL089 (aka Hook).

What happens next is anyone's guess. Will they stay? Will they feed? Will more familiar faces and new whales arrive over the coming weeks?

For now, we wait, watch and enjoy the privilege of respectfully observing these incredible animals as they navigate and, hopefully, feed plentifully in Donegal Bay.

Donegal Bay Conservation Trust is excited to see how the season unfolds. Every sighting, photograph and identification helps us better understand these remarkable whales and the bay they continue to choose.