Irish hunt for Fungie the dolphin put on hold because of bad weather

Bad weather has forced search-and-rescue teams to suspend a search for Fungie, a dolphin who has vanished off the coast of Kerry after almost 40 years of enchanting fishermen and visitors to the south-western tip of Ireland.

The wildlife celebrity has not been seen for six days, prompting fears he is sick or has died and that a magical era for the Dingle peninsula has ended.

A small fleet of boats and a team of four divers started searching the mouth of Dingle harbour after the alarm was raised last week. They found nothing. Nor did a sonar scan of the seabed. The search was called off on Monday amid torrential rain and warnings of gale-force winds.

“There’s still hope, Gary Brosnan, a boatman who facilitated the sonar scan on his boat, told RTE. “If Fungie has died there’s a good chance we’d have found him in one of the inlets or caves. No news is good news.”

On Sunday the sonar showed a dark object on the seabed that appeared shaped like a dolphin, said Brosnan. “We were sure it was him. Thankfully, when the divers went down, it turned out to be a smooth rock.”

Fans of the mammal have shared memories and photos on social media.

Seán Mac an tSíthigh
(@Buailtin)

A wonderful shot of Fungie in full flight during this past summer… https://t.co/emj7r1gFV3

October 18, 2020

The common bottlenose dolphin appeared off Dingle in 1983 and attracted attention as a solitary creature who nevertheless had a playful nature and liked to interact with humans. Fungie inspired widespread affection and media reports. As his fame spread, tourism in the town prospered and up to a dozen boats operated daily trips.

Locals hope he is pursuing sprat driven offshore by an easterly wind, or perhaps hiding from the reported presence of other dolphins and whales, and that he will return.

Fungie is at least 38 years old. Males can live at least 40 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.