Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Salmon’s up..there’s still not a Dingle sighting of our Fungie
Locals fear worst in search for dolphin
He’ll be mourned massively. He’s a mascot, he’s our sentinel... he’s our pride and joy JIMMY FLANNERY ON HIS ADORATION FOR FUNGIE THE DOLPHIN YESTERDAY
FUNGIE the Dolphin is “priceless” to Dingle, heartbroken locals said yesterday.
The beloved sea creature has been missing for five days.
A boatman, who has known Fungie for 37 years, insisted the bottlenose is “priceless” in importance and value.
And Jimmy Flannery also stressed, if the much-loved mammal is dying, the best case scenario would be for him to permanently disappear.
The Co Kerry man said boats scouring the bay yesterday had yet to spot the distinctive dorsal fin breaking through the Atlantic waters.
Jimmy, who said no monetary value could be placed on the dolphin, added: “No, no, he’s priceless, there’s no doubt about it.
“You have the restaurants, you have the bars, you have the holiday homes and the boats would probably be the smallest part of it.”
An industry has grown around the animal in Co Kerry tourist town since Fungi arrived 37 years ago.
Jimmy, who is hopeful of his return but becoming increasingly concerned, said: “Fungie will be a massive loss to the whole community.
“He’ll be mourned massively – he’s a mascot, he’s our sentinel at the entrance of the harbour, he’s our pride and joy.
“Speaking to the people at home and speaking to my own son who grew up with him there’s an awful air of gloom in the [Dingle] peninsula to think if we have lost our friend.
“You see the thing is, this was probably the best case scenario, believe it or not.
“I mean, I’m 33 years taking people out to see him and I’d always said the best case scenario is that he disappears.
“[The] worst case is that we see him either die or we’d see him dying – we’d see him getting sick and we wouldn’t be able to help him.
The operator of Dingle Dolphin Tours said there were four to five boats out searching on Saturday and th e same number out again yesterday.
Last night the company said: “At this stage we are calling off the search in the
BOND Jimmy Flannery
hopes that Fungie has just gone on an adventure and if so chooses will return to us one day.”
Fisherman Paul Hand spotted the dolphin on Thursday morning, however, he hasn’t been seen in the harbour since Tuesday.
Jimmy added: “There was no signs of him being ill in any way and all we can hope for is that he has actually gone out feeding.
“The easterly wind is a factor, there’s a lot more feed around than usual and there’s a lot of activity with whales and dolphins. He
could just have tempted him to move off a bit.”
Jimmy, who is the chairman of the Dingle Boatmen’s Association, said during the past 30 years “four or five hours is the most that they weren’t able to locate him at any time so it’d be highly unusual”.
Kevin Flannery, a marine biologist who runs Dingle’s Oceanworld, said the mammal is worth millions to the economy.
He said: “Oh absolutely [it could be millions]. You have 100,000 people visiting the aquarium here alone and you could easily double that amount that went to see [Fungie].
“Then we have wind sur f in g, kayaking and trips to the Blasket [Islands] off the back of it so that will give you some idea.”
Meanwhile, local councillor Seamus Cosai Fitzgerald said: “We’re hoping that he’ll come back again.
“You’d have people walking out along the shoreline to see him, but the advertising and marketing element of it is [important].”