Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

What Irish Whale and Dolphin Group does

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) is an All-Ireland nonprofit conservation NGO founded in 1990 and headquartered at Merchants Quay, Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland. The organization focuses exclusively on the conservation of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) in Irish waters and operates four functional areas: research, conservation, welfare, and education/outreach. It maintains Ireland's primary cetacean citizen science infrastructure, which includes a 24-hour live stranding response hotline (097 28118), a mobile/web reporting application, a coastline-wide volunteer local-group network, and structured vessel-based surveys. Its research dataset covers 26 cetacean species, with a flagship Humpback Whale Photo-identification Catalogue of over 1,000 encounters spanning more than 20 years and a 70% mean interannual resighting rate supporting long-term residency analysis.

The technology stack combines citizen science reporting tools, photo-identification methodology, acoustic monitoring using SoundTraps and F-PODs (used within the EU-funded STRAITS project), SEA.AI Sentry thermal camera systems for ship-strike mitigation tested on Atlantic research surveys, and access to research vessels including the RV Celtic Explorer and the Celtic Mist. Core programmatic assets include WhaleTrack Ireland (long-term sighting tracking), the Shannon Dolphin Project (residential bottlenose dolphin monitoring in the Shannon Estuary), Fair Seas (MPA advocacy campaign), and the Atlantic Whale Deal (EU Interreg-funded ship-strike mitigation). Public engagement channels span the flagship Whale Watch Ireland annual event (24th year, 18 sites across 14 counties as of 2026), the Whale Tales conference, monthly IWDG Ezine, the Flukes Magazine quarterly publication, and the Ireland's Coastal Whale Trail.

IWDG's revenue model combines individual and family membership subscriptions (€35 and €45 annually) plus a €250 Corporate membership tier, online merchandise sales, general donations, and project-specific funding from the EU Interreg Atlantic Area programme, the NPWS, and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The organization serves citizen scientists and marine enthusiasts, NGOs and conservation advocates, academic and research institutions (including University College Cork and Atlantic Technological University), corporate members pursuing environmental responsibility, and educational institutions. Distribution is direct-to-public through the iwdg.ie website, self-service citizen science apps, and free flagship events rather than through reseller or enterprise channels.

Name

Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

Legal name

Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

Website

https://iwdg.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group is an All-Ireland nonprofit conservation NGO founded in 1990 that protects cetaceans in Irish waters through citizen science, photo-identification, acoustic and thermal monitoring, serving the public, research institutions, and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours (THAAAIAC), Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM)

Keywords

• Marine mammal conservation
• Citizen science platform
• Cetacean research services
• Wildlife monitoring programs
• Marine conservation education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kilrush

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual recurring memberships in three tiers (Standard €35, Family €45, Corporate €250) providing access to members area, ezine, event discounts, and publications.
2. Online Shop: Sale of IWDG merchandise, publications, and educational materials through the online shop.
3. Donations: General donations and specific fundraising campaigns to support conservation, research, and monitoring programmes.
4. EU/Government Project Funding: Funding from EU Interreg Atlantic Area programmes (Atlantic Whale Deal, EU OCEAN, STRAITS) and government agencies (NPWS, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) for specific conservation and research projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

IWDG is an All-Ireland conservation NGO dedicated to the protection of whales, dolphins, and porpoises (cetaceans) in Irish waters. It delivers a portfolio of research, conservation, welfare, and education/outreach services including a citizen science sightings and strandings reporting platform, a long-term photo-identification catalogue, vessel-based surveys, stranding response, and annual public engagement events such as Whale Watch Ireland and the Whale Tales conference.

Product overview

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group operates as a conservation NGO offering membership programs (Standard, Family, and Corporate tiers at €35, €45, and €250 respectively), a mobile reporting application for citizen scientists, and coordinates public engagement events such as the annual Whale Watch Ireland day and Whale Tales conference. Core research initiatives include WhaleTrack Ireland (citizen science sighting tracking with photo-identification), the Shannon Dolphin Project (resident bottlenose monitoring), Fair Seas (MPA advocacy), and the Atlantic Whale Deal (EU-funded ship strike mitigation using SEA.AI thermal imaging technology). The portfolio functions as an integrated conservation system combining membership support, public participation tools, and scientific research projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WhaleTrack Ireland: A citizen science project tracking whale and dolphin sightings in Irish waters through photo-identification and public reporting.
• Fair Seas
• Shannon Dolphin Project
• Atlantic Whale Deal

Products and services

• Standard Membership Annual individual membership at €35 per year providing monthly IWDG Ezine updates, access to members area with research papers, priority booking for Whale Tales conference, discounts on events, training workshops, and publications, plus whale-watching advice for individual members.
• Family Membership Annual family membership at €45 per year delivering membership benefits for multiple household members, including newsletter access, event discounts, and reduced publication rates.
• Corporate Membership Annual corporate membership at €250 per year providing IWDG News e-zine, monthly group email updates, local reports on strandings and sightings, discounts on events and training workshops, and reduced rates on publications.
• IWDG Reporting App Mobile and web application that enables citizens to report whale and dolphin sightings and strandings directly to IWDG for incorporation into its research and conservation database.
• Whale Watch Ireland Annual nationwide land-based whale watching event held at coastal sites across Ireland, raising awareness of cetacean species and promoting public participation in IWDG recording schemes.
• Whale Tales Conference IWDG's annual gathering combining scientific presentations, discussions, interactive sessions, and the AGM, bringing together members and marine conservation enthusiasts.
• WhaleTrack Ireland Long-term citizen science project tracking whale and dolphin sightings across Irish waters, maintaining a photo-identification catalogue for humpback whales and other cetacean species.
• Shannon Dolphin Project Dedicated research initiative monitoring the resident bottlenose dolphin population in the Shannon Estuary.
• Online Shop Direct-to-consumer online shop selling IWDG-branded merchandise, publications, and educational materials related to cetaceans and marine conservation.
• Live Stranding Hotline 24-hour emergency response hotline (097 28118) coordinated by IWDG to receive and respond to reports of live cetacean strandings around the Irish coast.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 cetacean species documented in Irish waters
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EU Interreg Atlantic AreacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2024EU funding programme supporting the Atlantic Whale Deal project (€X.Xm over 4 years) focused on mitigating ship strikes and enhancing carbon sequestration in the Atlantic through innovative whale detection technology.
• Inis (Inis Fragrance)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCore sponsor providing gift packs for Whale Watch Ireland events and supporting the Coastal Whale Trail map publication. Inis is a fragrance company with environmental brand values supporting Irish marine conservation.
• Irish Environment Network (IEN)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational umbrella organisation for environmental NGOs in Ireland, co-sponsoring Whale Watch Ireland events and providing environmental network support.
• National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing funding for marine mammal stranding investigations, post-mortem examinations, and collaborative emergency response. NPWS secured the first Irish narwhal specimen for research.
• British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for marine mammal emergency response in Northern Ireland, funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, delivering training and response coordination.
• European Cetacean SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual conference participation sharing Irish research with over 800 marine mammal researchers, conservation practitioners, and policy specialists from across Europe.
• University College CorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner conducting genetic analysis for species identification (e.g., narwhal confirmation) and post-mortem investigations through Cork Regional Veterinary Lab.
• Atlantic Technological University (ATU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Dr María Pérez Tadeo, ATU scientists lead the STRAITS EU-funded project (4-year) using acoustic monitoring from Strait of Gibraltar to Irish waters, with IWDG participation on research voyages.
• Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organisation for ACCLIMATISE project (A Changing Climate Impact Monitoring and Assessment Toolbox for Irish Seas), with IWDG as project partner developing climate monitoring tools.
• Irish Elasmobranch Group (IEG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Brandon and Tralee Bay Marine Alliance to share research and build support for future MPA designation in north Kerry.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS): Scotland's national cetacean stranding response and post-mortem network operating a similar government-funded emergency response model to IWDG's NPWS-backed scheme.
• Sea Watch Foundation: UK-based cetacean monitoring charity running a national sightings database and volunteer survey network — directly mirrors IWDG's photo-ID catalogue and citizen science reporting approach.
• Marine Conservation Society (MCS UK): UK marine conservation charity combining citizen science (e.g., Beachwatch), policy advocacy, and member-supported research — closely mirrors IWDG's multi-pillar structure.
• Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC): Global cetacean-focused NGO with analogous mission pillars: research, conservation, advocacy, and citizen science engagement. Comparable in scale and revenue model mix of memberships, donations, and project grants.

Broad incumbents

• Fauna & Flora International (FFI): Large international conservation NGO with marine and cetacean programs using similar grant-funded project structures, but with much broader species and geographic scope than IWDG.
• Oceana: Major international ocean conservation advocacy organization actively engaged in EU marine policy. Overlaps with IWDG's Fair Seas MPA campaign work but operates globally.
• Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): Established UK/IE wildlife conservation nonprofit combining citizen engagement, membership-funded programs, and conservation science — analogous business model structure though on waterbirds rather than cetaceans.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): International nonprofit focused on sustainable fisheries and ocean governance; comparable funding mix (grants, certifications, partnerships) and advocacy orientation toward marine protection.

Regional players

• Center for Coastal Studies (CCS): US-based cetacean research nonprofit operating long-term photo-ID and stranding response on the Atlantic seaboard — same operational template as IWDG, but U.S.-focused.

Others

• NOAA Fisheries (Office of Protected Resources): U.S. federal agency that funds and conducts cetacean stock assessments, stranding networks, and ship-strike mitigation — analogous institutional role to NPWS/DAERA which fund IWDG's work in Ireland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IWDGnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@iwdg
• Facebookfacebook.com/IrishWhaleandDolphinGroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/irishwhaleanddolphingroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irish-whale-and-dolphin-group-consulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irish Whale and Dolphin Group