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Grey Seal Documentary Screening In Dublin This Weekend

12th December 2014
Grey Seal Documentary Screening In Dublin This Weekend

#MarineWildlife - The Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Dublin is hosting special screenings of a new documentary that celebrates 100 years of the first wildlife species to be protected under law.

Lanugo: The Great Grey Seal/100 Years, 100 Voices marks the centenary of the UK's Grey Seals (Protection) Act 1914, with people from all walks of life, from fishermen to scientists, folklorists and more talking the legacy and future of the grey seal on the shores of Britain and Ireland.

"Among the first species threatened by biodiversity loss and most sensitive to climate change, they are as pertinent to our future today, as when their vulnerability was first recognised," say the team behind the film.

Produced by Brendan Rice, founder of the Irish Seal Sanctuary, and directed by filmmaker David Kavanagh, Lanugo will be screened at the IFI in Temple Bar this Saturday 13 December and next Wednesday 17 December at 10.30am (more details HERE).

All are welcome to the screenings but advance registration is required - contact [email protected].

Published in Marine Wildlife
MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy

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MacDara Conroy is a contributor covering all things on the water, from boating and wildlife to science and business

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Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!