A Co Clare businessman is investing £250,000 in a 48-seater passenger boat in an effort to tap the tourism potential of the Doolin dolphin.
Hoping that the young female bottle-nosed dolphin does not decide to up and leave the cove near Doolin in the meantime, Mr Kevin O'Brien said yesterday he expects the boat, currently being built in Co Limerick, to be in service from May 1st next.
In the first move to generate an industry around the dolphin similar to that which has surrounded Fungi near Dingle since the mid-1980s, Mr O'Brien, managing director of Doolin Ferries Ltd, said the 40ft boat will be specially fitted out for dolphin-watching.
He expects the boat to make 10 to 20 trips per day to see the dolphin at a cove known as "The Jump", where she has been based for over a year.
Mr O'Brien contends that seeing the dolphin from the boat is the safest and most environmentally friendly way. He said: "The boat will have a number of viewing areas. I sincerely hope that the dolphin won't leave the area. If it does, the boat can be modified for other tourism activities such as sea-angling."
Though Mr O'Brien could not state how much it will cost to view the dolphin, it is understood that a return trip may be pitched at around £5.
The move by Mr O'Brien coincides with a committee being formed in Doolin to draw up an action plan for next summer in response to fears expressed over the safety of people visiting "The Jump" and the welfare of the dolphin.
A proposal being considered following a recent public meeting in Doolin attended by an estimated 100 people is charging visitors to see the dolphin to ensure the proper management of the area where she swims.
Already Clare County Council and the Doolin unit of the Irish Coastguard have expressed grave concern over people swimming with the dolphin in what they describe as a "potentially very dangerous area for swimming".
Mr Simon Berrow of the Kilrush-based Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, who called the public meeting, said yesterday he expects "tens of thousands of people" to visit Doolin next summer following recent publicity.
He said the Doolin dolphin "is without doubt far more friendly and bolder that Fungi," adding that it was important that an action plan be put in place.
