scubaseason

Harbour Porpoise

Phocoena phocoena

Sighting evidence at Fair Head, Ireland

Europe's smallest cetacean is abundant in the North Channel and routinely passes through Fair Head's dive sites, often spotted mid-water as a brief grey torpedo shape in the blue. They are typically shy around divers but become bolder in slack water conditions when they linger to hunt the abundant sand eels in the channel. Resident groups are monitored by Irish Cetacean researchers and Fair Head is considered a key habitat corridor.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Harbour Porpoise is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.