Small Cetacean Site Survey Investigations 2008

A survey of small cetaceans was carried out at three sites (carnsore Point, Blasket Islands cSAC and Donegal bay) to derive density and Abundance estimates using distance sampling. Single platform line transect surveys were carried out on three days at each between July and September 2008. During nine days of surveys, a total of 121 track-lines were surveyed of a total distance of 622.80 km in sea-state ≤ 2. From the total of 63 sightings, 122 individual harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) were recorded. There were also four sightings of single minke whales (Balaenoptera acutoratrata), two sightings of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) with a total of 26 individuals and one sighting of two common common doolphins (Delphinus delphis).