Whale, well, guess who’s back...
HE’S Ireland’s largest tourist – a humpback whale who has notched more than a dozen visits.
Known as Boomerang – or by his official name of HBIRL3 – the muchphotographed guest off West Cork has a distinctive damaged dorsal fin.
He was first spotted in August 2001 and is among 93 whales making up an official catalogue.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group marine biologist Dr Simon Berrow said: “Boomerang keeps coming back, that’s where he got his name.
“His dorsal fin has been like that forever.
“It took us 15 years to get to 30 whales in the catalogue and we doubled it in a year – now we add about 10 a year.”
It is thought the whale could have picked up his scars at the tropical breeding grounds they migrate to every year.
Atlantic Whale and Wildlife Tours’ Chris O’sullivan added: “Boomerang is a legend.”