THE return of Boomerang, Europe’s most famous humpback whale, and a break for freedom by a Moray Eel, caused some excitement in West Cork’s world of wildlife over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Boomerang is the nickname of a humpback whale that is frequently sighted off the coast, having been sighted 13 out of 18 years between the Cork and Waterford coast.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has documented his visits since 2001, using photo-identification techniques to track his movements.
Boomerang is easily identified by a damaged dorsal fin and the unique pattern on the underside of his tail fluke.
IWDG says he usually arrives in late summer or early autumn, but the last time he was spotted in Irish waters was October 2024.
His arrival is considered good news given the decline in whale numbers in recent years, which has been attributed to the overfishing of sprat, its primary source of food.
Boomerang was spotted by Ronan O’Sullivan, skipper for Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours, on the Friday afternoon of the Bank Holiday weekend.
Meanwhile, in Courtmacsherry on the same day, lobster fisherman Colin Cashman got a little more than he bargained for when lifting his pots.
While it is not uncommon to find a conger eel in one of the pots, Colin was surprised to find a Moray Eel, making it the second ever sighting of that species in Irish waters.
The first of its kind was recorded in 1997. On that occasion, the 1.12m long Mediterranean moray eel was caught off the Waterford coast.
The Courtmacsherry fisherman deposited the Moray Eel into a container with water and contacted David Edwards of West Cork Charters.
David said Colin had the intention of bringing it back to base to have it properly identified, but it jumped out of the container.
‘He said it moved like lightning across the deck. It was so fast it was as if it was on wheels,’ said David.
The eel made good its escape as the vessel approached Horse Rock in Courtmacsherry Harbour.
