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Displaying items by tag: Sea Life

#MarineWildlife - Bray’s National Sea Life aquarium has announced the birth of Ireland’s first tropical stingray, as TheJournal.ie reports.

The junior Atlantic cownose ray was born a month ago but staff at the North Co Wicklow marine wildlife centre wanted to ensure it was healthy before making the announcement.

About 30cm long, the ray is one of a ‘near threatened’ species that only reproduces once a year. It has also yet to be named, as its sex won’t be determined for a while yet, but is presumed to be female.

And she’s already making friends with the aquarium’s visitors, with National Sea Life managing director Pat Ó Súilleabháin saying: “She comes right up to the edge of the tank to say hello.”

In other marine wildlife news, the carcass of a porpoise was found on a river bank in Newry last weekend, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Animal rescuers responding to public concerns said the harbour porpoise had likely been dead for some time but was no cause for alarm for the health of a known group of porpoise in nearby Carlingford Lough.

Harbour porpoise, like their dolphin cousins, are sometimes found swimming upriver in estuaries or coastal areas – and it’s not unheard of to see them hundreds of miles inland from the sea.

Published in Marine Wildlife

#MARINE WILDLIFE - There's still a week left to check out the Shark Week celebrations at Sea Life Bray.

Till 4 November the centre on the promenade in Bray, Co Wicklow will be hosting events that take a closer look at one of nature's most magnificent but misunderstood creatures.

In an urgent bid for shark conservation, Sea Life is supporting the UK-based Shark Trust by throwing the spotlight on sharks - raising awareness about the wide range of shark species in British and Irish waters, and the challenges they and other marine wildlife are facing.

Kids can get involved with badge making, puzzles and games, shark-related quizzes and activity sheets, and even see the centre's sharks - which include bonnet head shark, leopard shark and blacktop reef shark - get their dinner at the shark feeding times!

The full timetable for Shark Week related events at Sea Life Bray is available HERE.

Published in Marine Wildlife

At a Glance - Irish RS Dinghy 2024 Calendar

May 4th/5th:
RS200/400 Northerns EABC.

June 8th:
RS200/400 Easterns/Sprint Greystones SC - ideal way to hone in your starting before many Irish boats head to France for Eurocup 21-24 June

July 6/7th:
RS FEST/Inlands LDYC. RS Fest follows on from the success of last year to incorporate all RS Feva/200/400/Aeros.

August 9-11th:
RS200/400 Irish National Championships CSC.

September 20/21st:
RS 200/400 Southerns KSC. Killaloe SC hosts the final event of the year.

At a Glance - Irish RS400/200 Events for 2023 

  • RS Westerns Galway City Sailing Club - April 1/2
  • RS Open Training Strangford SC 29/30 April
  • Northerns - Strangford Sailing Club - May 6/7
  • Irish RS Games - Nationals - Blessington Sailing Club 23-25 June
  • UK Nationals Mounts Bay 31 July - 04 August 2023
  • Southerns/Easterns - 26/27 August- Wexford Harbour SC
  • Inlands - 23/24 September - Killaloe SC

RS Feva

  • Feva Easterns Royal Irish YC- May 6/7, RS Feva UK Nationals-Pwhelli, UK- May 27th-30th
  • Irish RS Games - Nationals - Blessington Sailing Club 23-25 June (open to all RS classes)
  • Feva Northerns - East Down YC - 26/27 Aug / Southerns - Monkstown BSC- 23/24 Sept

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