|
| |
Facts and fiction about Kenmare Bay
This is a very long page with a lot of
information. Please scroll down
Facts
Marine Mammals
Eurasian otter
Although the Eurasian otter is an aquatic rather than a truly marine mammal,
we shall include it here because a significant proportion of Ireland's
population inhabits the coastal zone, where they spend part of their lives on
land and the remainder at sea, whilst depending on both.
Otter (c) Cornwall Wildlife Trust
With their webbed toes, streamlined body and dense waterproof coat of fur,
otters are well adapted to an aquatic way of life. They feed on a variety of
aquatic prey, including fish, eels, crabs and other crustaceans, and to a lesser
extent frogs and birds. Much of Ireland's extensive low rocky shore environment
provides ideal habitats for coastal otter populations, which often breed and
rear their cubs (usually two per litter) within easy reach of the shore.
 Pinnipeds (seals)
The common seal, sometimes referred to as the harbor seal, is a coastal species
that inhabits sheltered waters around Ireland. It occurs most frequently along
the North, East and Southwest coasts, being less abundant in the West. They
prefer to feed on fish, both bottom-dwelling and free-swimming, and some
invertebrates in narrow channels near the mouths of bays. At low tide they haul
out onto skerries (rocky islets and reefs) or sand banks to rest and digest
their food. Common seals are gregarious, preferring to live in groups, probably
made up of related animals. Around Ireland, common seals give birth during June
and July. The single pup, which is able to swim within just a few minutes after
its birth, suckles for between 3-6 weeks.
 Grey seal pup
The grey seal is also a coastal species, though it may forage further out at sea
than the common seal. It is sparsely distributed around Ireland and widely
dispersed outside the breeding season. Grey seals feed on a wide variety of fish
and some invertebrates. Adults congregate to form herds during the late summer
to autumn breeding season. One of Ireland's largest herds (about 200
individuals) hauls out to breed on the Blasket Island group in County Kerry,
especially the White Strand (An Trá Bhán) on the Great Blasket Island, and on
the shores of Beginish. The other main Irish breeding group is centered on the
remote Inishkea islands off the coast of northwest County Mayo, while other much
smaller rocky shore breeding sites are dotted around the coast.
Unlike common seals, the single grey seal pup is born in white lanugo (natal
coat). Lactation lasts for 2-3 weeks before the mother abandons the pup, around
which time it begins to moult its lanugo. The pup spends another two weeks or so
on land while it moults before entering the sea when it must learn to forage
efficiently before its body fat reserves are depleted. Recent research by the UK
Sea Mammal Research Unit suggests that grey seal pup mortality is high, with
approximately 50 per cent of newborn pups dying during the first year (Seal
Conservation Society, 1998).
Cetaceans (porpoise, dolphins and whales)
Twenty-three cetacean species have so far been identified in Irish waters, of
which eleven are frequently recorded.
The harbour porpoise is considered to be the most abundant species and has been
recorded on all coasts but is especially abundant off southwest Ireland, where
an estimated 20,000 may occur in summer (Leopold et al., 1992). This, together
with a population in the southern Irish Sea, represents an important part of the
overall North-East Atlantic population, which is considered to be vulnerable (Simmonds
et al., 1997). Sightings made in deeper waters above the Rockall and Faroe Banks
show that the species is not just restricted to shallow shelf waters, as was
previously thought. A survey conducted in July 1994 confirmed that the harbour
porpoise is present throughout most of the Celtic Sea shelf area.
There is considerable genetic and other evidence to indicate that harbour
porpoises live in discrete populations with little movement between them (Simmonds
et al., 1997). The harbour porpoise is relatively short-lived (average life span
is only nine years). They are known to calve off the southwest and east coasts
of Ireland between June and September (Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, 1993).
Their low reproductive rate, typical of all cetaceans, makes them especially
vulnerable to threats.
Bottlenose dolphin (c) Cornwall Wildlife Trust
The bottlenose dolphin is the other most frequently sighted cetacean in Irish
waters. They are most commonly seen in coastal waters, though they are
frequently reported further out at sea, especially in the Celtic Sea shelf area.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that, historically, bottlenose dolphins used to
frequent various Irish estuaries and other inshore waters where they are now no
longer (or very rarely) seen. It has been suggested that a major decline in the
species, dating from as early as the 19th century, may have occurred. As the
human population has increased (accompanied by industrial pollution, expanding
fisheries, coastal development and habitat disturbance), so bottlenose dolphin
populations seem to have declined (Simmonds et al., 1997).
Work by researchers in the UK suggests that bottlenose dolphins in European
waters typically form well-established groups of some 130 individuals,
comprising several sub-pods. A bottlenose dolphin group off Cornwall and Devon
has been found to have a large home range of several hundred kilometers of
coastline, which may be typical. This group also appears to travel more in the
spring and summer than at other times.
The discovery of this extensive range ... has very significant implications for
their conservation as it challenges the view that their conservation can be
simply addressed via small "protected areas". (Simmonds et al., 1997)
Bottlenose dolphins are known to calve in Irish coastal waters, including the
funnel-like mouth of the Shannon Estuary, which is a clearly identified home
range, summer calving and nursery ground for a group of about 100 bottlenose
dolphins. Consequently, the Mouth of the Shannon is of very high European
conservation importance.
Both the harbour porpoise and bottlenose dolphin are listed in Annex II of the
EU Habitats Directive as species that not only require strict protection but
also warrant designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
(c) Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Other "small cetaceans" in Irish waters are usually animals that are oceanic in
habit and hardly ever come into inshore waters. The common dolphin is one of the
most abundant cetacean species found off the south and southwest coasts and is
frequently observed in the Irish Sea and on the Celtic Sea shelf.
The white-beaked dolphin and Atlantic white-sided dolphin frequently occur
offshore where they feed on a variety of pelagic fish species. White-beaked
dolphins may move closer to shore in summer, although they are most usually
found over the continental shelf area. Atlantic white-sided dolphins have been
shown to calve off the southwest coast during early summer. Their distribution
seems to be closely related to that of blue whiting — an important prey species
for them.
In recent years there has been an increase in sightings of the striped dolphin
in Irish waters. This species prefers warmer waters and the increase in
sightings may relate to changes in the warm water currents of the North Atlantic
Drift.
Risso's dolphin has a wide distribution, mainly off the west coast of Ireland,
though they are occasionally reported in the Irish Sea. This largely oceanic
dolphin has been shown to calve in Irish waters in late spring and early summer.
The long-finned pilot whale is the most commonly observed "whale" species in
Irish waters (though it is technically a "small cetacean" because it does not
yet come under formal International Whaling Commission jurisdiction). Although
mainly inhabiting waters of the deep open ocean, where they feed principally on
squid, large numbers have been recorded along the edge of the continental shelf
west of Ireland. The waters off southwest Ireland are thought to be an important
breeding ground for this species (Evans, 1980).
The orca, or killer whale is a frequently recorded species in Irish waters,
being observed in small numbers, especially off the west coast.
Of the baleen whales, the mink whale and fin whale are the most frequently
observed in Irish waters. The minke whale is widely distributed along the
Atlantic seaboard and is reported sporadically in the Irish Sea. It is the
baleen whale most frequently seen from land. Minke whales that over-winter in
warmer waters, such as near the Azores, may regularly return to feed in Irish
waters where they may also breed. Others pass through Irish waters on migration
to the rich sub-arctic summer feeding grounds. Fin whales also migrate through
Irish waters along the edge of the continental shelf from breeding grounds at
lower, warmer latitudes to summer feeding grounds in the sub-arctic. It is
thought that some fin whales (possibly a genetically discrete sub-population)
may in fact breed off the south coast of Ireland.
Other baleen whales reported or believed to transit through Irish waters on
migration along the shelf edge are the sei whale, humpback whale, the rare blue
whale and possibly the even rarer northern right whale.
As for the toothed whales, the deep-sea to the west of the continental shelf
provides suitable habitats for deep-diving species such as the sperm whale and
various beaked whales (Ziphiidae). There is evidence that sperm whales may be
occurring more frequently off the Irish coast (Berrow et al., 1993), but many of
the beaked whales, apart from the northern bottlenose whale, have never been
seen alive and are known only from stranded carcasses. Six of the nine European
records of True's beaked whale are from the west coast of Ireland and a recent
stranding of a Gervais' beaked whale was only the second record for Europe (Bruton
et al., 1989).
The northern bottlenose whale inhabits deep ocean waters and is very
occasionally seen in Irish territorial waters along the continental shelf edge
where they feed on squid and other deep-sea animals. The International Whaling
Commission classifies the North-East Atlantic population as a Protection Stock
due to its depletion (by commercial whaling) and continued vulnerability.
Commercial whaling by Europeans and Scandinavians from the late 16th century
through to the 20th century — peaking in the late 19th century with the
introduction of modern whaling technology such as harpoon cannon, exploding
harpoons, steam then diesel driven catcher vessels and factory mother ships — has
depleted most North-East Atlantic populations of "great whales" and some small
cetacean species.
The North-East Atlantic populations of blue, fin, sei, humpback, right and sperm
whales were further depleted between 1908 and 1923 by commercial whaling
operations in Irish waters undertaken from Norwegian owned shore stations in
County Mayo. Commercial whaling operations for northern bottlenose whales by
Norwegian vessels are thought to have continued in waters to the northwest of
Ireland until 1973. In recent years, whaling interests in the Faeroe Islands have
sought to establish a commercial hunt of between 200-400 northern bottlenose
whales annually.
Long-finned pilot whales, including those which transit through offshore Irish
territorial waters, continue to be subject to a drive-fishery in the Faroe
Islands with as yet undetermined long-term consequences to the overall
North-East Atlantic population and constituent, genetically discrete
sub-populations.
Likewise the North-East Atlantic minke whale population is subject to an
increasingly large-scale commercial whale hunt by Norway during the summer
whaling season. Some of these minke whales may seasonally migrate through Irish
waters — either along the Atlantic seaboard or else through the Irish Sea. In
2002 Norwegian whalers caught 634 minke whales from a self-allocated quota of
671; the 2003 self-allocated quota is 711 minke whales. Whaling interests in
Norway are currently pushing for quotas approaching 2,000 minke whales annually,
plus government-approval for takes of other species, including fin whales.
During 2002, Iceland rejoined the International Whaling Commission; it has
expressed its long-term aim to resume hunting minke, sei and fin whales, and has
even mentioned taking humpback and blue whales once their North Atlantic
populations have "recovered"!
-------------
Divers and grebes
The great northern diver and red-throated diver are common winter visitors to
Irish coastlines, while the black-throated diver is a much more rare winter
visitor. All are found on open coastal waters, bays and sometimes harbours,
where they dive for fish and marine invertebrates. In winter, great crested
grebes may also be found in open coastal waters and harbours, as well as the
less common Slavonian grebe.
Gulls
Seagull (c) FreeFoto.com
The herring, common, great black-backed, lesser black-backed and black-headed
gulls are resident breeding birds of sea and coast, as is the kittiwake. Other
gulls found around Ireland's coasts are the uncommon winter visiting
Mediterranean, glaucous, Iceland and little gulls. Occasionally, the mainly
pelagic Sabine's gull is blown inshore during its migration to/from the high
Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland and Spitzbergen. Gulls generally feed on a
wide range of food including fish, molluscs, worms, crustaceans, offal and
carrion.
Fulmar, shearwaters and petrels
The fulmar is a member of the family that includes the mainly southern
hemisphere albatrosses. It breeds on all suitable cliffs around Ireland's coast
and is otherwise strictly pelagic, often following fishing vessels to feed on
offal, though it principally feeds on a variety of fish, molluscs and
crustaceans.
Four species of shearwaters (sooty, great, Mediterranean and Manx) are visitors
to Irish waters in late summer-early autumn. Sooty and great shearwaters are
birds of the open ocean, where they feed on a wide range of marine life
including fish, squid, molluscs, crustaceans and offal from trawlers. Both
species breed in the southern hemisphere. The Mediterranean shearwater breeds in
the western Mediterranean. The Manx shearwater is a common, but infrequently
seen, seabird which travels long distances to feed far out at sea on small fish,
molluscs and offal. They only come ashore during the breeding season to nest in
burrows, mainly on offshore islands. Birds arrive and leave the burrow in the
dark to avoid predation by gulls. There are several important breeding colonies
scattered around the Irish coast.
Petrels occurring around Ireland are the tiny storm petrel, a strictly sea-going
bird which feeds on small fish and plankton, that comes ashore only to breed;
and Leach's petrel, which breeds on some remote islands off the west coast.
Skuas
Sightings of piratical and predatory skuas (Arctic, long-tailed, pomarine and
great skua), which are spring and autumn passage migrants off Ireland's coasts,
usually only occur during onshore gales. All but the long-tailed skua feed by
chasing and harassing gulls and terns, pursuing them until they drop or disgorge
their food, though they will also variously feed on fish, small mammals, birds
and eggs, carrion and offal.
Auks
The razorbill, guillemot, black guillemot and puffin are some of the most
familiar seabirds around Ireland's coasts. Razorbills nest in close association
with guillemots on cliffs and stacks, with foraging and resting birds sometimes
forming large "rafts" on the sea. Outside the breeding season they disperse out
at sea where they over-winter. Razorbills and guillemots feed on a wide variety
of prey including fish, worms, molluscs and crustaceans by diving (swimming
underwater by flapping the wings).
Usually seen at sea or resting on rocks, the black guillemot breeds in small
groups around Ireland's coasts and offshore islands, nesting under boulders and
in caves, holes and crevices. The puffin breeds in grassy cliff top (rabbit and
shearwater) burrows in places scattered around Ireland's coasts. Puffins feed on
a wide variety of marine prey, with sand eels forming an important part of the
diet especially during the breeding season. During winter, which is spent far
out at sea, the puffin's bill changes shape and dulls in colour. The little auk,
which also winters at sea, is occasionally seen, usually only when blown inshore
by gales.
Terns
The common, Arctic, roseate, little and Sandwich terns are summer visitors to
Ireland's coasts, where they breed. They feed for fish by plunge-diving after a
mid-air hover; Arctic, Sandwich and little terns also feed on marine
invertebrates. The rarest of these is the roseate tern. The largest and most
successful roseate tern breeding colony in Europe, and the centre of the Irish
Sea population, is on the tiny island of Rockabill off County Dublin, where the
terns nest in the shelter of tree mallow and other dense vegetation such as lyme
grass. The arctic tern is an impressive long-distance migrant. Ireland is near
the limit of its world breeding distribution.
The little tern is relatively scarce. After migrating from its African wintering
grounds in spring, it prefers to nest in small colonies at a few traditional
mainland sites on the east coast such as Baltray Dunes, County Louth, Kilcoole
Beach, County Wicklow and Raven Point, County Wexford. On the west coast there
are little tern colonies on offshore islands such as the Aran Islands, County
Galway, and the Inishkea Islands, County Mayo. Their main habitat requirements
are a shingle beach that is relatively free from human disturbance and close
proximity to shallow coastal water or a lagoon for fishing.
_small.JPG) Gannet
The gannet is Europe's largest seabird. It is almost always airborne, resting on
the water only briefly after feeding on fish, which it does by plunge-diving
from up to 30m high with half-folded wings. Gannets breed in colonies on cliffs
and stacks, mainly on offshore islands. In summer the island cliffs of the
Skellig Rocks off County Kerry are home to one of Europe's largest gannet
colonies. Over 22,000 pairs of gannets nest on the Little Skellig while
razorbills and guillemots nest on the Great Skellig Rock. The Great Saltee
island off County Wexford also has an important gannet colony, with about 1,200
pairs of gannets breeding on the rugged southern cliffs. Situated in the
southeast, the Great Saltee is also an important first landfall for spring
migrants such as swallows arriving from their African wintering grounds. There
are other gannet colonies on the Bull Rock in County Cork, and on Clare Island
in County Mayo. The most recently established gannet colony, where the first
breeding pairs arrived in 1989, is on a sea stack off Ireland's Eye close to the
fishing port of Howth, County Dublin. In autumn gannets migrate (en masse, in
strings of several birds, often visible from headlands) to warmer southern seas
to over-winter.
 Cormorant
The cormorant and the shag are common residents around Ireland's coasts. The
shag is normally a strictly marine species, frequenting open water off rocky
coasts rather than the more sheltered waters and estuaries frequented by the
cormorant. Shags breed colonially on rocks and in sea caves, and some birds
disperse along the coasts in winter. The cormorant, also a colonial nester,
breeds on rocks on the coast and trees inland. Though its coastal distribution
is similar to the shag, cormorants are increasingly common on inland rivers and
lakes. Both feed on a variety of fish, jumping clear of the water before diving.
Breeding seabird numbers
Ireland has 22 species of breeding seabird, including nearly 220,000 auks and at
least 224,000 pairs of other species. This total does not include the huge, but
virtually unknown numbers of storm petrels which nest unseen in burrows and
crevices in at least 28 colonies around the Irish coast. On the four outermost
Blasket Islands off County Kerry, storm petrels nest in the tens of thousands
among the precipitous scree slopes, from sea level to the summits. The Irish
colonies of Manx shearwater, storm petrel and gannet make up a sizeable part of
the European populations of these birds.
Seabird lifespan
Recent evidence suggests that some seabirds may naturally live long lives.
British Trust for Ornithology reports on the recovery of ringed birds show a
number of longevity records for waders and seabirds, including 18 years for the
ringed plover, 26 years for the bar-tailed godwit and 33 years for the common
tern. Storm petrels have been shown to live to at least 32 years, Manx
shearwaters to 35 years, gannets to 36 years and fulmars to nearly 41 years.
------
Marine Turtles
FIVE of the world's seven turtle species occur in Irish and British waters. The
most frequent visitor is the leatherback turtle, followed by the loggerhead
turtle. Both are usually seen regularly in late summer. The others are the
Kemp's ridley turtle, hawksbill turtle and green turtle, which are only rarely
seen, and most usually dead.
Leatherbacks and loggerheads have been reported every year in Ireland
particularly off the west and southwest coasts, usually from August to October
when the sea is at its warmest. Official sightings from sea observatories on the
west coast report both individuals and groups of turtles moving past during this
time.
Leatherbacks are partially warm-blooded, enabling them to survive in cooler
water and at temperatures that other marine turtles may not tolerate for long.
Loggerhead turtles are also cold-tolerant to some extent. In stormy conditions
young loggerheads may be found cold-stunned on the coast of Ireland and Britain.
Turtle research (c) Wolcott Henry 2001
The exact origin of leatherbacks and loggerheads in the North-East Atlantic is
not fully understood, but in 1997 a turtle found drowned in Wales had a tag that
had been fitted on a breeding beach in French Guyana on the north coast of South
America. Other breeding beaches are in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. From
here the clockwise currents of the Atlantic Ocean gyre bring animals east on the
Gulf Stream/North Atlantic Drift. One recent estimate suggests that there may be
fewer than 35,000 breeding female leatherbacks in the world, and they are known
to be declining in many places.
Marine turtles feed on a variety of prey items, particularly jellyfish.
Leatherbacks are known to feed on deep-sea jellyfish at depths exceeding 1,000m.
They are potentially threatened by entanglement in fishing gear (nets, lines and
pots), which leads to drowning, and from ingestion of marine debris — especially
plastic bags which are eaten because they resemble jellyfish — leading to death
from suffocation or gastro-intestinal blockage.
----------
Importance of the Sea
Oceans, seas, islands and coastal areas form an integrated and essential
component of the Earth's ecosystem and are critical for global food security and
for sustaining economic prosperity and well-being of many national economies,
particularly in developing countries.[1]
THE enormous size, diversity and complexity of the marine environment over which
Ireland claims jurisdiction presents government and civil society with many
challenges regarding its protection and management.
In order to responsibly and effectively manage the health of the marine
environment, we must first understand its character and recognise that "the
environment" is not itself an entity that we can manage — it is a dynamic and
diverse system that changes naturally, heedless of our desire to manipulate and
control its behaviour. Only the impact of human influence on the marine
environment can be managed, and that usually requires us to modify our behaviour.
In the marine environment, everything interconnects
The marine environment is a complex entity comprising distinct but
interconnected components, many of which are of enormous physical dimension: the
coastline, seabed, its subsoil, the water column, sea surface and overlying
atmosphere, the abundance and variety of marine life, habitats and ecosystems[2]
within the marine environment, the substances, energy, objects and constructions
we introduce to it, and the human activities that take place on, in, over and
around it.
Oceans and seas cover over 70 per cent of the Earth's surface. They have a large
influence on global heat transport and precipitation (climate and weather
patterns). They provide a large proportion of the oxygen we breathe and are a
major source of biodiversity[3] and natural resources.
The protection and management of the natural resource base are of fundamental
importance to achieving ecologically sustainable economic and social
development. Nearly one billion people worldwide already rely on oceans and seas
as a major source of nutrition. This dependence will continue to grow as human
populations increase. The degradation of the oceans and seas seriously threatens
food security and the eradication of poverty across the globe.
In addition to food, oceans and seas provide us with a wide variety of goods,
services and other benefits, including oil and gas, renewable energy generation
potential, transportation corridors and recreational opportunities.
A healthy society depends on healthy seas and coasts.
Footnotes
1. Paragraph 29, Plan of Implementation, World Summit on Sustainable
Development, Johannesburg, September 2002.
2. The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (Article 2) defines "ecosystem"
as a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their
non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.
3. The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (Article 2) defines
"biodiversity" (biological diversity) as the variability among living organisms
from all sources including, inter alinea, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part: this includes
diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
For more information on these subjects please follow respective links form our
links page.
--------
Fiction
As soon as the seal was clear of the water, it reared up and its skin slipped
down to the sand. What had been a seal was a white-skinned boy"
George Mackay Brown - 'Pictures in the Cave'
Selkie Lass: Illustration by Sigurd TowrieThe term "selkie" is simply an
Orcadian dialect word meaning "seal".
As such, selkies are a very common sight across the islands. Heads bobbing above
the surface of the sea, they are most often seen watching inquisitively with
uncannily human eyes.
To the onshore observer, it is not hard to see how the legends surrounding the
selkie-folk - the seal people - sprang into life.
Ireland and the Orkneys have many stories concerning this magical race of
creatures.
Unlike the Fin Folk with their malicious tendencies, the selkie-folk came to be
regarded as gentle shape shifters with the ability to transform from seals into
beautiful, lithe humans.
Throughout the surviving folklore there is no general agreement as to how often
this magical transformation could take place. In some tales it was once a year,
usually on Midsummer's Eve, whereas in others it could be 'every ninth night' or
'every seventh stream'.
However often they were able to transform, the folklore does tell us that once
in human form,t the selkie-folk would dance merrily on lonely stretches of
moonlit shore, or bask in the sun on outlying rocks or skerries.
The selkie's skin
A common element in all selkie-folk tales, and perhaps the most important, is
the fact that, when the selkies assume human form, they cast off their
sealskins. Within these magical skins lay the power to return to seal form, and
therefore the sea.
If one of the selkie-folk lost their sealskin, they were doomed to remain in
human form until the skin was recovered. Because of this, if disturbed during
one of their midnight shore dances, the selkie-folk would hastily snatch up
their skins and rush back to the safety of the sea.
Selkie Man: Illustration by Sigurd Towrie Amorous encounters
The male members among the selkie-folk were renowned for their many encounters
with human females - married and unmarried.
A selkie man in human form was a handsome creature with almost magical seductive
powers over mortal women. These selkie men had no qualms in casting off their
sealskins, stashing them carefully, before heading inland to seek illicit
intercourse with an 'unsatisfied woman'.
Should such a mortal woman wish to make contact with a selkie man, there was a
specific rite that she had to follow. At the high tide, the woman should make
her way to the shore where she had to shed seven tears into the sea.
The selkie man would then come ashore and after removing his magical sealskin,
would seek out 'unlawful love' among the women of the island.
In the words of the Orkney folklorist Walter Traill Dennison, these selkie
males:
"..often made havoc among thoughtless girls, and sometimes intruded into the
sanctity of married life."
If a girl went missing while out on the ebb or at sea, it was inevitably said
that her selkie lover had taken her to his watery domain - assuming, of course,
she had not attracted the eye of a Finman.
Selkie on the Ebb: Illustration by Sigurd Towrie But if the males of the selkie
race were irresistible to the island women, selkie women were no less alluring
to the eyes of earth-born men.
The most common theme in selkie-folklore is one in which a cunning young
Orcadian man acquires, either by trickery or theft, a selkie girl's sealskin.
This prevented her from returning to the sea, leaving the seal-maiden with no
option but to marry her 'captor' and produce children.
These tales generally end sadly, however, with the selkie wife's children
finding and returning her sealskin so that she might return to the sea. In some
accounts, her children go with her, while others have them remaining with their
mortal father.
For more information on these subjects please follow respective links form our
links page.
-----
We have made every effort to credit the respective sources and
copyright holders of the information on this page. If you however feel that
proper credit has not been made please inform the webmaster who will action
immediately on verifiable information.
For More Information Contact:
Kenmare Angling and Sightseeing
Kenmare
Tel: 353 087 2592209
Internet:
infoatkenmareanglingandsightseeing.com
|
.JPG)
