Mayo IWDG

26/10/2026

25/10/2026

21/10/2026

09/09/2026

Another team of IWDG responders—this time drawn from across the west and north-west—has completed Rescue 3 Europe - Mud Safety training, in Belmullet Co. Mayo, with Lagan Search & Rescue

Live-stranded dolphins are sometimes reported in muddy and intertidal areas, where conditions can pose serious risks. The course focused on recognising hazards, assessing conditions and making safe decisions before any response onto mud is considered. Responders also learned practical self-rescue and conditional co-worker rescue techniques.

The final course in this training programme will take place in the south-west in the coming weeks.

This training programme is supported by Biodiversity officers in Mayo County Council, Galway County Council, Louth County Council, Sligo County Council, Cork County Council, Dublin City Council and Kerry County Council through the National Parks and Wildlife Service Local Action Biodiversity Fund, and IWDG National Lottery Good Causes prize to train as many responders as possible.

A huge thank you to Langan Search and Rescue for delivering another excellent course, and to Our Lady's Secondary School Belmullet for providing the use of the school for our classroom-based training. Thank you also to the organisations supporting the programme and to all the IWDG responders who took part.

Also a huge thanks to for the use of their facilities

Mayo County Council
Sligo County Council
Galway County Biodiversity Office
Louth County Council
Cork County Council
Dublin City Council
Kerry County Council Environment
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

19/08/2026

Two live strandings in Tarmon over the past two days, and two dolphins given a second chance.
Tuesday’s dolphin was spotted by American tourists visiting the area, who quickly raised the alarm with IWDG. An IWDG responder attended and assessed her condition.
She was very disoriented in Tarmon but in good body condition, injury free and breathing well. Given her condition, we decided to relocate her by road to Port Mór with help from local community members, Keith who was on holidays in the area and staff from UISCE.

The peninsula’s shallow, gently shelving coastline along the east coast of the peninsula, can be challenging for common dolphins, particularly in Tarmon, where these pelagic dolphins can become disoriented and struggle to navigate back to deeper water. Coastal bottlenose do not make the same mistakes here as they know the area and tides. We hoped a move to a deeper and steeper beach nearer to open water would give her a better chance of orientating and heading back to sea.
At Port Mór, she was released but turned back towards us after encountering a seal, but on a second attempt she headed strongly out into deeper water, giving us a few jumps before we lost sight of her.

On Wednesday, local man Brendan called in another dolphin stranded in Tarmon after being directed to us by Blacksod Sea Safari. The tide was rising, and this animal showed signs it had been stranded for longer. We decided to put it in a dolphin sling bring it towards the carraigeen as the rising tide, would hopefully increase it's chance of heading out of the shallow area. It's breathing rate was improving while we calmly walked it through the water , always a good sign.
It was a borderline case, but worth giving it a chance. We eventually lost sight of it, so we’re hoping it has taken that second chance and is now out in the bay finding the dolphins it came in with.

A big thank you to UISCE for sending staff to assist us, and to Blacksod Sea Safari for helping ensure Wednesday’s dolphin was reported quickly.
Both Coláiste UISCE and Blacksod Sea Safari are local business sponsors of our dolphin rescue trailer, which we were finally able to purchase late last year. It now carries new custom rescue slings designed specifically by us for common dolphins, volunteer PPE and safety equipment, with final finishes underway and dedicated storage for all our rescue equipment half way through completion. Huge thanks also to Cow Comfort Mayo Mats Ltd for providing mats for the floor of the trailer.

We couldn’t have done this without support from our GoFundMe sponsors, Mayo County Council, Community Foundation Ireland, Coláiste UISCE and Blacksod Sea Safari. That support is now directly helping us respond quickly and safely to live-strandings here in Erris.

As always a huge thanks to all the local IWDG responders who dropped everything over the past two days and came to help alongside the local community helping us.

If you see a live dolphin on the shore, DO NOT DRAG IT BY THE TAIL back to sea, as this can seriously injure them. Instead call the IWDG hotline on 097 28118, as we have volunteers not just in Erris, but all around Ireland trained and ready to assist at any live stranding around the country.

11/08/2026

🐋💙 Come visit us at the stand! 💙🐬

We’re here at the square Belmullet representing the local Mayo branch of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, sharing information about which amazing whales and dolphins we have around the Mayo coast and how we help common dolphins that get into difficulty in the area when the tide drops.

Pop over, say hello, have a chat, and learn more about whales, dolphins and how we can protect them. 🐳🐬

We’d love to see you! 💙

Many thanks to Community Foundation Ireland Mayo Sustainability Fund for supporting our work in the area.

08/07/2026

We were delighted to get together with Ballyglass RNLI and Ballyglass Coast Guard for a live-stranding awareness session delivered by IWDG Live Stranding Coordinator Gemma O’Connor.

Both teams have helped us locally in the past during live-stranding incidents, so it was great to talk through how our local response works here in Erris.

The session covered why dolphins may strand alive, responder safety, dolphin welfare, and what to do if emergency services are called to a live dolphin stranding.

A sincere thank you to Ballyglass RNLI and Ballyglass Coast Guard Search and Drone Unit for their time, participation and ongoing local support.

The Blacksod Bay Project is funded through the Mayo Sustainability Fund: Project Plus, administered by Community Foundation Ireland and funded by the Sunflower Charitable Foundation.

07/07/2026

🐬 What is a live stranding “near miss”?
A near miss is when dolphins enter a known live stranding hotspot and are still swimming — but are at real risk of being left behind by the falling tide.

Recently, 61 common dolphins were reported near Walker’s Point, one of the live stranding hotspots in Blacksod Bay, circling in just 1–2 metres of water.

Thankfully, this happened during neap tides, when the tide does not fall as far, so less of the shallow bay is exposed at low water. The pod never beached and most moved out overnight.
Two dolphins had moved further in towards Tarmon beach. One was circling slowly and breathing very fast, while the other appeared to stay close to it. By the following day, one dolphin remained and was monitored for several hours before it was lost from sight.
Early reports from local people are vital. They allow IWDG to monitor behaviour before a stranding happens, identify animals that may be distressed or compromised, and prepare trained responders if needed.

Blacksod Bay is a known hotspot for common dolphin live strandings. The largest mass live stranding in IWDG records for this area involved 33 common dolphins in October 2022.
IWDG has been building live stranding response capacity in Erris over many years through volunteer training, local knowledge-sharing, community awareness and outreach with Search and Rescue groups. This work has been supported through local fundraising, local businesses, Mayo County Council and local volunteer effort.

More recently, The Mayo Sustainability Fund via Community Foundation Ireland has allowed us to build on this local response programme, bring knowledge into the classroom through our Ocean Classroom, which has reached 585 school children to date, and support wider community awareness around live strandings.

Our Heritage Day stand has also been made possible with support from The Mayo Sustainability Fund via Community Foundation Ireland.
Come and visit us on Heritage Day to learn about the whales and dolphins that call Erris home — and what to do if you come across a live stranded dolphin.

Mayo County Council
Community Foundation Ireland
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
📽 Cillian Ó Mongáin

07/07/2026

On the evening of 28 June 2026, IWDG’s Live Stranding Coordinator received a call from Felim Doran in Ballycroy about a live dolphin he found stranded at Dooreil, inside a spit of land.

Mayo IWDG volunteers Rachel McBride and Peter Hefferon quickly responded. With extra help organised locally by Felim, the dolphin was safely supported and lifted into a tractors ransport box, and driven to deeper water, refloated, and soon it swam off in the right direction to deep open water.

Only a few days later, two juvenile dolphins being monitored in Saula also live stranded on the low tide and were safely transported to deeper, open water.

These events happened within a week of a near miss at Tarmon Bay, where 61 common dolphins were recorded in the shallow water inside this known live stranding hotspot. Thankfully, it was a rising neap tide and the pod moved out safely overnight

Our Mayo volunteers are experienced and trained in live stranding response. Dolphins must never be dragged by the tail, as this can cause pain, injury, dislocation and severe stress. THey can only be lifted using tarps, sheets or dolphins slings.

Common dolphins are highly susceptible to stress, and our responders are trained to reduce that stress and use safe lifting and refloat techniques.
Thank you to Felim, Frances, Rachel and Peter.

If you come across a live stranded dolphin, please call IWDGs emergency number on 097 28118 for advice and assistance. We have trained volunteers all around the county ready to assist.

📸 Rachel McBride, Felim Doran