Identification of beaked whales at sea can be difficult, especially of juvenile animals. Northern bottlenose whales are perhaps the most easily recognised due to their large size (adults can reach up to 9.8 m in length),robust body and prominent bulbous forehead and beak.They have a brown/olive colour and a prominent falcate dorsal fin located two-thirds of the way along the back (with adults often being mistaken for minke whales if the bulbous head is not seen).The pectoral fins are paddle shaped and sit into grooves on the flanks of the body. The data collected includes observations, relative abundance, search for and range of Beaked Whales recorded from marine mammals observations on board ships of opportunity between 2005 and 2011.

Under the European Union (EU) Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) the Irish Naval Service undertake the role of maritime surveillance of fishing control according to sustainable management of the North Atlantic fisheries resource. The Fisheries Control are divided into 26 units of fisheries control monitored for activities and catch regulation and restriction.

Striped dolphins have a maximum body length of 2.6 m.They are a sleek dolphin species with a slender beak,similar in shape to common dolphin but slightly smaller.A falcate dorsal fin (dark grey in colour) is located half-way along the back. The body coloration consists of a dark grey cape extending from the beak to behind the dorsal fin. The flanks are a lighter grey, leading to pink-white undersides.A thin dark stripe runs from the eye to the anus (between the grey and white areas), while a broad dark band runs from the cape, just below the dorsal fin and tapers to a point on the flanks above the pectoral fins. The striped dolphin is a fast active swimmer which sometimes bow-rides, but not as frequently as the common dolphin, which it resembles in body size and shape. The data collected includes observations, relative abundance, search for and range of Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) recorded from marine mammals observations on board ships of opportunity between 2005 and 2011.

Rissos dolphins are very robust with an average adult body length of 3.2 m. At birth calves are grey (overall colour ranging from light to dark grey) with a paler underside.As they age, adult Risso’s become paler due to increasing levels of white scarring resulting from tooth rake marks gained during social interactions. Adult Rissos appear pale grey or largely white (depending on levels of scarring), particularly around the head. There is a white anchor-shaped patch on the chest and the underside of the belly is also typically white. The head is blunt and bulbous, with no evident beak.A distinct vertical cleft is evident on the front of the melon. A tall, dark and very prominent dorsal fin is located mid-way along the back. The tip may be rounded or pointed with a concave trailing edge. The pectoral fins are long, dark and sickle shaped. A small but noticeable blow may be seen at close range. Rissos dolphins can be very acrobatic at the surface with repetitive breaching and tail slapping. The data collected includes observations, relative abundance, search for and range of Rissos Dolphin (Grampus griseus) recorded from marine mammals observations on board ships of opportunity between 2005 and 2011.

Grey seals are the largest seal species in Irish waters. Male grey seals are considerably larger than females, growing up to 2.6 m in length. Females grow up to 2 m in length.The coat is dark grey on the back and flanks with a lighter underside and with irregular black mottling over the entire animal. Grey seals have a ‘Roman nose’ shaped muzzle. Newborn pups have a white coat and pups are born approximately one meter in length. The data collected includes observations, relative abundance, search for and range of Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) recorded from marine mammals observations on board ships of opportunity between 2005 and 2011.