One of the Risso's pods photographed from the Stena Europe off Rosslare yesterday. In all we recorded 29 Risso's around what we call the Risso's Triangle off the Irish Coast. Risso's are generally thought to be deep water/shelf edge creatures but this is not the case in our experience. In over thirty years of shore watching they have been regular visitors to our coastline in North Pembrokeshire. They are commonly seen from our Ferry Surveys between Fishguard and Rosslare mainly around the Risso's Triangle off the Irish Coast but they can turn up anywhere particularly of Strumble and Fishguard this year.
Its not easy getting good pictures of animals moving at speed from a moving boat but the flat calm sea and the Risso's were on our side. These are quite big robust animals about fifteen feet long. The view was spectacular from our vantage point on the Bridge wings 70 feet above them!