Marine magafauna of coastal waters in southern Ireland

Land-based observations may contribute to an overall understanding of behaviour of large marine vertebrates and may help us understand how these animals react to climate change. I observed marine megafauna (cetaceans, Basking shark, and Sunfish) from Cape Clear Island situated in the south-west of Ireland. The study took place during the summer months (June - August 2008) because the majority of Leatherback turtles, Sunfish and other megafauna species are sighted in Irish waters in this period. Additionally to sightings, basic weather characteristics were recorded (sea state, visibility, glare and cloud cover) every day of observation. Unfortunately, no Leatherbacks, my target species, were recorded during the study period (51 days) at Cape Clear. The reason for the turtle absence could be relatively cold and wet weather during the study period. Although no data was obtained on turtles, over 124 sightings of other megafauna were made, mostly cetaceans (five species) but also one individual Basking shark and several Sunfish. The species richness increased with time during the study period, and significantly higher number of individuals as well taxa was observed in the second month of the study when the sea surface temperature was higher. However, I did not detect a significant relationship of number..