The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has confirmed that 2026 will be the final season for its dedicated research sailing vessel, Celtic Mist.
The 17-metre yacht was donated to the IWDG by the Haughey family in 2011 and has surveyed more than 100,000 km of Irish inshore and offshore waters since 2012.
The vessel undertakes systematic visual surveys for whales, dolphins, porpoises and wider marine wildlife around the Irish coast, contributing essential long-term data for marine conservation, research and policy.
Celtic Mist has circumnavigated the island of Ireland on five occasions, sailed to the Isle of Man and the Inner Hebrides, Scotland twice to connect with like-minded groups in the UK. In 2018 she embarked on a seven-week expedition to Iceland where she rounded the famous Hornstrandir, Iceland’s most northernmost peninsula, entering into Arctic waters in search of humpback whales.
Last year, the Celtic Mist completed a 3,300 km survey with Fair Seas as part of the campaign for Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation to protect, conserve and restore Ireland’s marine environment. Over 11 weeks, volunteer skippers and crew recorded more than 2,000 individuals of eight species of whale and dolphins.
IWDG Celtic Mist Officer, Andrew Shine said, “We’re sad to see the end of the Celtic Mist’s journey with the IWDG. Our members have had an incredible experience over the last 14 years living, sailing and surveying along Ireland’s stunning coastline. They have encountered some of the most spectacular marine wildlife in the northeast Atlantic and that would not have been possible without the Celtic Mist and the generosity of the Haughey family.
This wonderful vessel is now 50 years old and the rising cost of maintenance and challenges in finding willing and experienced volunteers to skipper and crew her means that 2026 will be her last year with us. Grand Canal Basin in Dublin was her winter home for over 10 years but now she is based in Kilrush, Co Clare and this season will find her plying the waters of the south and southwest coast for the final time on behalf of the IWDG.
Celtic Mist has completed 30 weeks of research surveys on behalf of Fair Seas since 2023. Fair Seas Campaign Coordinator, Dr Dónal Griffin said, “I’ve been lucky to have the opportunity to spend two weeks on board the Celtic Mist over the last few years. There is something really special about living on board for a week, learning about sailing, maritime heritage and marine ecology.
While the list of recorded species sightings was long, I must admit it was the people on board that impressed me most. Even the skipper and first mate charged with the crew’s safety and the safe operation of the boat itself were volunteering their time, and had been doing so for decades. The social and ecological benefit of people volunteering along our coast is something I know will continue long after the Celtic Mist retires this year.”
During 2025, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group research vessel Celtic Mist recorded 348 sightings of whales, dolphins and porpoises during 64 days at sea while circumnavigating the entire coast of the island of Ireland. Volunteer skippers and crew, all members of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, recorded 2047 individuals of eight species during 3,379 km of survey effort. These sightings will contribute to our better understanding of whales and dolphins in inshore Irish waters and build knowledge in the Areas of Interest as identified by Fair Seas.
Celtic Mist is the IWDG’s dedicated research sailing vessel and has been a keystone of cetacean monitoring in Ireland for many years. Operated with the support of trained volunteers, the vessel undertakes systematic visual surveys for whales, dolphins, and wider marine wildlife around the Irish coast, contributing essential long-term data for marine conservation, research, and policy.
In recent years, Celtic Mist surveys have been strategically aligned with the Fair Seas campaign, which has identified 16 Areas of Interest (AOIs) around Ireland as candidate sites for future Marine Protected Areas. These AOIs represent known or suspected hotspots for marine biodiversity which Celtic Mist has systematically surveyed in the past 3 years
IWDG Marine Advocacy and Policy Officer Eva Lambert said “Celtic Mist is about far more than numbers and maps. Year after year, volunteers give their time, energy and skills to Celtic Mist, often in challenging conditions. It’s about people working together at sea, learning from the wildlife around them, and turning those experiences into data that genuinely helps protect the places that matter most for whales and dolphins.”
Celtic Mist is now 50 years old and the cost of maintenance is increasing and finding willing and experienced volunteers to skipper and crew her is becoming increasingly difficult. Grand Canal Basin in Dublin was her winter home for over 10 years but now she is based in Kilrush, Co Clare and the 2026 season will find her plying the waters of the south and southwest coast for the last time on behalf of the IWDG.
The IWDG is hosting an event at Poolbeg Yacht Club, Dublin this evening (Friday, February 13th) to launch the results of the 2025 season, and announce Celtic Mist’s retirement, bringing together skippers, volunteers, members and supporters to to highlight the role of community-supported research in informing marine conservation and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Ireland.