Irish wildlife features in flagship BBC production

LEAP, Ireland - Oct. 4, 2013 - PRLog -- Footage of fin whales filmed by the BBC off the coast of Ireland in November 2012 is set to feature prominently in a new series called “The Great British Year”.

The programme, which airs on BBC1 at 9pm on Wednesdays until the 23 October (repeated on Sunday afternoons at 4:50 pm) documents the nature of The British Isles through the seasons. The whale footage, filmed with West Cork based whale watch operator Colin Barnes of Cork Whale Watch (www.corkwhalewatch.com), will feature in the last programme of the series, on Wednesday 23 October.

“It’s great to see Irish wildlife showcased in this way,” said Calvin Jones, founder and managing editor of Ireland’s Wildlife (www.irelandswildlife.com).

“We have some amazing wildlife here in Ireland, and I believe there’s real potential to develop wildlife tourism in a sustainable and informed way that will benefit both local communities and wildlife. Whale watching is an important part of that. Many people don’t realise that Ireland is one of Europe’s whale and dolphin hotspots. Almost a third of all cetacean species have been recorded in Irish waters, and some, including fin whales and humpback whales, are regular visitors to our coasts.

“Autumn and early winter -- so from early October to about the end of December -- is peak large whale season off the south west coast, and offers fantastic opportunities to get out and see these amazing creatures first hand,” said Calvin.

Fin whales are the second largest animal on earth -- only blue whales grow bigger. Every year they visit Ireland’s south coast in numbers to feed on the large shoals of herring that gather there.

You’ll find articles and features on whale watching in Ireland on the Ireland’s Wildlife website, and can discover more about whales and dolphins in Ireland, where to see them and how you can help with their conservation, on the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group website (www.iwdg.ie).