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Local Species Seabirds
Local Fish species include: Mackerel, Herring, Pollack, Coley, Cod, Haddock, Ling ,Wrasse and Mullet, Thornback Ray, Dabs, Turbot, Tope and Dogfish or Rock Salmon, Blue Shark, Blue Fin Tuna, Basking Sharks, Dolphin & Porpoises.
Atla ntic Mackerel is the most common of the family caught in Irish waters. They are common inshoals migrating towards the coast to feed on small fish and prawns during the summer. Over fishing has also led to a decrease in stocks off the west coast of Ireland. Mackerel consists mostly of red meat and has a strong taste. It is high in vitamin B12 and in omega 3, containing nearly twice as much per unit weight as does salmon.
Herring  Are silvery colored fish that have a single soft dorsal fint. They have a protruding lower jaw but no lateral line . They vary from 14 to 18 cm. Atlantic herring grow to about 46 cm (18") and weigh up 700g (1.5lbs). During daylight herring stay in deep water, they feed at the surface at night time when there is less chance of predation. They swim with their mouths open, filtering plankton from the water as it passes through their gills.
Pollock  has a strongly-defined silvery lateral line running down their sides. Above this their color is a greenish black. Their belly is white, they can be found in water up to 100 fathoms (180 m) deep over rocks, and anywhere in the water column. Atlantic pollock is a white fish, and it is a strongly flavored one. A popular source of food in some countries like Norway, in the United Kingdom it has largely been eaten as a cheaper and versatile alternative to cod and haddock. Pollock have shovel-shaped tails and pale lateral lines
Cod  is a popular fish, with a mild flavor, low fat content and dense meat which is moist and flaky .When cooked and is white in color. Atlantic cod, change color at certain water depths, Cod have two distinct color phases: grey-green and reddish brown. Its average mass is 5–12 kgs (11–26 lb). Some Cod migrate in winter, to warm water to spawn. A female will lay up to five million eggs in midocean. Cod are at risk from overfishing. Pollock are often found on the same grounds as cod in Atlantic waters.
Haddock or offshore hake is a evenly distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. Haddock is a popular fish. Haddock is easily recognized by a black lateral line running along it's white side, (pollock which has the reverse, i.e. white line on black side) and a distinctive dark blotch above the pectoral fin, often described as a "thumbprint" or even the "Devil's thumbprint" or "St. Peter's mark" Haddock is found at depths of 40 to 133 m, but has can range as deep as 300 m. It thrives in temperatures of 2 to 10 °C (36 to 50 °F)
Ling  is a member of the cod family. An ocean fish whose habitat is in the Atlantic region. Ling have a long slender body that can reach 2 mtrs. It is a deep-running fish, spending much of its life at depths of 100 m or more; younger fish are found at shallower depths.The flesh of Ling is prized and considered interchangeable with cod in either its fresh, salted, or dried forms.
Wrasse  comes via Cornish from the Welsh word gwrach meaning an old woman or hag. They are small fish, averaging less than 20 cms (7.9 in) long. They are efficient carnivores, feeding on a wide range of small invertebrates. Many smaller wrasse follow the feeding trails of larger fish, picking up invertebrates.
Mullet  are species of goatfish, Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus, found in the North Atlantic Ocean. M. surmuletus has a striped first dorsal fin. In English, M. surmuletus is sometimes called the striped red mullet.
Thornback Ray  is one of the most common rays. It has a flat body with broad, wing-like pectoral fins. The body is kite-shaped with a long, thorny tail. Their back is covered with thorny spines. They can weigh from 2 - 3.98 kg (4.5 to 8.75 lb). In mature fish some of the spines have thickened with button-like bases (known as bucklers). Their colour varies from light brown to grey with darker blotches and small darker spots and yellow patches. Their underside is creamy-white with a greyish margin. The thornback is usually found on sediment type seabeds such as mud, sand or gravel at depths between 10-60 mtrs.
Turbot  is a large left-eyed flatfish found close to shore in sandy shallow waters in the North Atlantic. The European turbot has an asymmetrical disk-shaped body, and has been known to grow up to 1 mtre (39 in) long and weigh 25 kg (55 lb). Turbot is prized for its delicate flavour, has a bright white flesh. Turbot gives 4 fillets with 2 meatier topside fillets.
Rock salmon  also called dogfish, rock eel, flake, and huss, is any one of many species of small shark, including the spiny dogfish or the bull huss. However, spiny dogfish is now an endangered species due to overfishing.
Blue sharks are light-bodied with long pectoral fins. The top of the body is deep blue, lighter at the sides, and the underside is white. It grows to 3.8 mtrs (12.5 feet) long and can weigh up to 204 kilograms (450 lb). The highest reported weight was 391 kilograms (862 lb). They are easy to distinguish from other sharks. It lives as far north as Norway and as far south as Chile. Blue sharks are found off the coasts of every continent, except Antarctica. It prefers waters with a temperature range of 7–16 °C (45–61 °F) but will tolerate temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F) or above. Records from the Atlantic show a regular clockwise migration within the prevailing currents
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna  are captured for the commercial market by professional fishermen using assorted hook-and-line gear, most importantly the longline. Atlantic bluefin are also taken commercially by heavy rod and reel gear. Bluefin tuna have long been one of the most important big-game species sought by sports fishermen.A tlantic bluefin tuna reach over 450 kgs (992 lb) weight. Atlantic bluefin tuna are highly valued as a food. Besides their marketable value as a food, their great size, speed and power has always attracted the admiration and the regard of fishermen.
The Basking shark  is the second largest living shark. It is found in all the temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder.
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Dolphins & Porpoises
The common Dolphin  has a short, well-defined snout, that looks like an old-fashioned gin bottle, which is the source of the name, Bottlenose Dolphin. Like all whales and dolphins, the snout is not a functional nose; rather, the functional nose is the blowhole on the top of its head. Its neck is more flexible than other dolphins' due to 5 of its 7 vertebrae not being fused together. Its head has a typical dolphin shape, eye ring and line from jaw to flipper. it has a Tall, curved, Dorsal fin: located mid-back. Often dark with a lighter centre. The snout, back and appendages are dark brown to black, and the lower surface is white. The front flank patches are yellow and the rear flank and the sides of the tailstock are streaked light grey. These features give a distinctive hourglass pattern on the sides, which is the most characteristic feature of common dolphins.
Porpoises  are related to whales and dolphins. Porpoises are distinct from dolphins, although the word porpoise is used to refer to any small dolphin. The most obvious visible difference between the two groups is that porpoises have flattened, spade-shaped teeth distinct from the conical teeth of dolphins, and shorter beaks. Porpoises, live in all oceans. The best known species is the Harbour Porpoise, which can be found across the Northern Hemisphere. Porpoises are predators, and use echolocation to locate prey and to coordinate with others. They hunt for fish, squid, and Shelled creatures.
"Men lived like fishes; the great ones devoured the small." Algernon Sidney.
Seabirds include Cormorant, Shag, Curlew, Gulls, Artic Tern, Guillemot, Gannet and Razorbill.
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 Cormorant A Large, dark seabird, Cormorants havea long neck and bodies with a long hooked bill. They swim low in the water with their bill raised. The adult breeding bird is black with a green, bronze and blue sheen to its plumage. Cormorant have a sloping forehead which give it a wedge shaped silhouette. They feed on fish.Cormorants breed on cliffs in costal colonies. Most of the larger colonies in Ireland are in the north west and the south coast. Cormorants are easily seen at sea in Co. Donegal. They can also seen roosting on piers & rocks.
Shag are a medium sized, dark seabird. They have a long body and neck and a long narrow hooked bill. Shags have dark webbed feet and short rounded wings. They swim low in the water keeping their bill high. Shags have a peaked fore crown. Shags feed on wide range of small fish.They breed all around the coast of Ireland. They Nest on ledges, in crevases, in caves or under boulders. Shags nest in colonies & have a prolonged breeding season. They are plentiful on the west coast. Shags are an easy species to spot.
Curlew the largest  wader - they are very distinctive birds with long legs,a bulky body, a long neck and a long decurved bill. Curlews are a fairly uniform greyish brown, with bold dark streaking all over. Curlews nest on the ground, in meadows and heather. They are to be found in most parts of the Ireland.
Common Gulls are similar to the Herring Gull, with light grey upper parts and white under parts. These gulls are smaller than the Herring Gull, with a smaller bill which is yellow in adults. The head of the Common Gull is pure white in the summer and streaked in the winter. The species has three age groups and they reach their adult plumage after two years when they moult into adult winter plumage. Juveniles have dark, strongly marked upper parts, tail band and dark pink legs. They feed on
insects and invertebrates. Common Gulls nest on the ground along the coast and inland in the west of Ireland, with most colonies in Co. Donegal, Galway and Mayo .
Arctic Tern  are seen over the sea. They are a slender seabird with narrow, pointed wings, long forked tail and long, pointed bill. their coloration is, grey above and white below, dark cap head. their flight is light and buoyant. Arctic Tern hover over the sea before diving in. Their diet: consists of Marine fish, crustaceans and insects.They are a coastal breeding bird. Co. Donegal and Co. Mayo have the largest number of birds.
Lesser Black-backed Gull a large gull, which has dark grey upper wings, showing black tips with white white at the tips surrounded by black, the rest of the plumage is white. Adult birds have heavy yellow bills with a orange spot on the lower bill, their head is pure white in the summer and streaked in the winter; the legs are yellow . Younger immature birds have a dark tail band which becomes less obvious as they get older, and disappears in adults. They feed on a wide variety of prey including sea fish, waste, garbage from landfill site and insects in flight. Lesser Black-backed Gull Breed in colonies, with other species especially Herring Gull. Their nests are on the ground. Most colonies in Ireland are along the west coast and most inland colonies are found in Co. Donegal and Co. Mayo.
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 The Herring Gull is a large bird, which has light grey upper wings, showing black tips with white at the very tips surrounded by black, the rest of the plumage is white. Their head is pure white in the summer and streaked in the winter. Younger birds have a dark tail band which becomes less obvious as they get older, and adults lack completely.The Herring Gull is both a predator and scavenger, they feed along the coast and follow fishing boats and Herring Gulls scavenge in landfill sites. These Gull breeds in colonies around the coast of Ireland and also inland, mainly in Co. Donegal and Co. Galway.
Arctic Skua is similar to a large dark gull. It has pointed wings and is fast and almost Falcon like in flight. They are found in Northern areas and nest in shallow depressions. they often keep watch from the tops of islands or ridges.
GannetThese beautiful birds are migratory and most winter at sea. Adults are large and white with a yellow tinged head .  Gannets fly, with shallow uniform wing beats and short glides.They are spectacular divers, plunging into the ocean at high speed. Agile fliers, they can be clumsy in landings and takeoffs. Gannets have a projecting wedge shaped tail and a long neck. They opportunistically eat small fish; cod, smelt and herring which gather in groups near the surface. They nest on seaweed, on steep slopes or cliff edges. Gannet populations are now stable, though their numbers were once greatly reduced due to loss of habitat, removal of eggs and killing of adults.The are few known natural predator of adults is the wild, though large sharks and seals may snatch a gannet out at sea.
Storm Petrel  also known as 'Stormie' or 'Sea Swallow' are small, dark seabirds with a white rump. They have short wings, a quick flight action, and dangle their legs over the sea when feeding. Petrels have a straight bill with hooked tip and tube-shaped nostrils on the upper jaw,giving them a distinctive bill shape. Petrels use their nostrils to excrete salt. Petrels feed from the sea: small fish, plankton, mollusks and crustaceans. They breed in colonies on islands off the west coast, from Co. Donegal to Co. Cork. Petrels are uncommon, but can be spotted in the breeding season at sea, near colonies on the west coast.
Oystercatcher Th ese large, distinctive waders have a long orange-red bill, black head, chest and upper parts and white underparts.Their main food is the large invertebrates, particularly mussels and cockles along sandy coasts. Oystercatchers nest primarily on shingle beaches, dunes, salt marshes and rocky shores around the coast. They can be spotted around Narin, Portnoo and Rosbeg on the beach.
Black Guillemot are a species of Auk, a marine bird and only found on land in the breeding season. Smaller than Guillemot, and only slightly bigger than Puffin. Plump and heavy at the rear end,they fly withtheir heads pointing up. Strikingly distinctive in the breeding season, with all black plumage, white upper wing patches and red feet. Guillemots can look all dark, at a distance, in the breeding season. In the winter, the bird is white below with white barring above, upper wing pattern very similar to the breeding season. They feed on marine fish and crustaceans. Black Guillemots nest amongst rocks at the base of cliffs, also in crevices and in piers. they will nest singularly and in loose colonies. They can be seen in Co. Donegal.
Razorbill Another species of Auk, this bird is mainly marine and only found on land in the breeding season. A black and white seabird, with black above and white below, the Razorbill has a distinct breeding plumag e.The Razorbill can be confused with Guillemot. The Razorbill is slightly smaller with blackish upper parts, it is more white on the side of the body and the bill is distinctly heavier and blunter. They feed on small fish, some invertebrates, which are caught by surface diving. Razorbills nest on sea cliffs. where they are difficult to see. Co. Donegal is a spectacular place to view these Auks.
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