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LAST UPDATE | 16 Oct 2020
CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised again about the whereabouts of the Dingle dolphin Fungie.
Concerns were originally raised last night that the popular dolphin hadn’t been seen, but a local fisherman Paul Hand said he spotted the dolphin off the Dingle coast in Kerry.
But this sighting was yesterday, and hours have passed by again where the dolphin hasn’t been seen – which local sea-farers say is very unusual.
At 5pm today, a Facebook page belonging to ‘Dingle Sea Safari Tours’ said that they had been searching for Fungie for almost 12 hours.
“Our Fungie boat [has] been out searching for Fungie since 8am this morning.
So far, there has been no sighting reported. We have to say at this stage it is very unusual for Fungie not to show himself for this length of time we will keep you updated as time goes on hopefully will have better news by later today.
Dingle fishermen and locals spoke to RTÉ’s reporter Seán Mac an tSítigh and said that the longest they had spent looking for Fungie previously would have been “five or six hours”, adding that he usually stays within the harbour boundary.
Mac an tSítigh, who is also a Dingle local, added that a pod of dolphins in the bay recently may have prompted the solitary creature to move away for a few days.
Earlier concerns and sightings
Concerns had raised last night about the dolphin after he hadn’t been spotted. But the Facebook page ‘Fungie Forever Photos of the Dingle Dolphin’ had posted that a search had been conducted yesterday to try track the dolphin down.
Last night, the Fungie Facebook page posted an update that he’d been spotted by a local fisherman.
Speaking to RTÉ News, fisherman Paul Hand said: “I am one thousand percent certain it was Fungie. I’ve been looking at him for the last 40 years. It was definitely him. He swam alongside my boat for a spell as I headed out in to the bay.”
Hand said that there were a number of other bottlenose dolphins in the area in recent days, which may explain why Fungie wasn’t to be seen in the usual spots he occupies.
He said: “There’s a share of other bottlenose dolphins out in the bay at the moment because the place is full of sprat. I saw at least five or six of them out there yesterday.
“There’s a lot of feeding going on and what’s happening is Fungie’s is following the fishing boats out in to the bay and is deciding to stay feeding with the other dolphins. He is enjoying the company.”
The bottlenose dolphin is said to have been first spotted in Dingle in 1983 but had been feared to have been missing after he hadn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.
During tourist season, the friendly Fungie is a popular attraction with thousands flocking hoping to see the dolphin, and boat tours centered around offering sightings of him.
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We had a Goldfish that “Went missing” from it’s bowl for a few days. The kids were very upset. Luckily “it returned” a few days later, slightly smaller and a little less gold.
@Figo murphy: Sounds very like my childhood dog that “went to a farm in the countryside”….
@Figo murphy: Probably because you kept it in a bowl instead of a big well filtered tank.
@Figo murphy: our pet lamb ran away into our neighbours field
@Fred the Muss…:
Did it come back?
@Michael Kavanagh: Hmmmm, sounds fishy!
@Figo murphy: my pet duck went missing, i asked mum while eating sunday dinner, never forget that.
Jesus how old is that dolphin or is it a bit like triggers sweeping brush ??
@The Wigster: I’m not sure but I don’t think you can change the head on a dolphin.
@Keaneland: Ahh, no. It’s not the head you’d have to change. It’s the body.
@Fachtna Roe: hhhhaaaaaaa
@The Wigster: 60+ years
@The Wigster: hes estimated to be in his late 40s. He was first spotted in Dingle in 1983 and was estimated to be close to 10 then. Bottlenose dolphin live up to 45/50 years of age
Bottlenose dolphins can live up to 50 years in the wild so it’s likely the same dolphin that has been active since 1983. A national treasure.
@Alfonso: You’re right there. Now, will ya be needin’ somewhere to stay? A few souvenirs maybe? A jaunt on the pony & trap? Sure isn’t it a grand day altogether…
@Col de Gal: Ur alrite there lad…can’t help yourself can ya…u should go in the road with that material…gold!
@Alfonso: yes,they have a very good diet-a lot of fish you know?
Them clever kerry people they must be on fungi 3 by now taken all them dollars in from the yanks spinning them auld yarns
@Colonel kurtz: Must be some very clever Kerry folk considering Dingle is in Cork
@Phil Redmond: ‘telpis
@Phil Redmond: What drugs are you on? Dingle is in Kerry.
@Colonel kurtz: ah man that made me laugh cheers for that
@Phil Redmond: I’ll have what your having if you think Dingle is in Cork :-)
@Phil Redmond: oh sweet Jesus just throw in the towel & give up now… Dingle in Cork…
@Phil Redmond: Dingle is in Cork now?
2020 is insane. Went to sleep in Kerry, woke up in Cork!!
@Phil Redmond: Dingle is in Cork now?
2020 is insane. Went to sleep in Kerry, woke up in Cork!!
At his age he was obviously self isolating!
Oh thank god, as silly as it sounds to be worried about a dolphin it’s still a really bleak news story that we don’t need when there’s already bad news coming out the wazoo in 2020
Fungie did not go missing…They had to get new batteries for him.
Click click click click bait. Hooray Fungi is ok
Can we please get an update on Dusty the Doolin Dolphin’s wellbeing as well?
@DarraghLD: constantly in my prayers
@DarraghLD: Dusty is fine. Hopefully the humans that were tormenting her, are now leaving her alone.
Why hasn’t this Dolphin been tagged ?
@Paul Buckley: Because that would ruin their attempts to have a new fungie every year to bring in the tourist yo-yo’s.
@LangerDan: Thank You for confirming my suspicions
@Paul Buckley: He’s not on Facebook
@LangerDan: You clearly think wild dolphins can be trained to just hang around. They cannot. There is, and was, only one dolphin.
@Paul Buckley: he has the right to be forgotten under data protection rules
@Tomás O’Loughlin: I’m reliably
@LangerDan: * sorry. I’m reliably informed that you are incorrect and that Fungi gets replaced every few years.
@LangerDan: and how do you think they do that?
@Fergus Murphy:
@LangerDan: A cousin of a friend (twice removed) of our neighbour who is a Garda in Dingle has informed me he’s in isolation and will be back in 14 days. This person is highly reliable and very close to everything fishy in Kerry.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.
Possibly the oldest dolphin on the planet. Lucky in not a cynic
@Colin McNamara: he’s pushing on alright. Nearly hitting the big 40. Be some crack of he headed off with a pod into the deep blue. You couldn’t blame him, I’ve seen 40 boats chasing him around that little harbour at once.
@Mark Walsh: ts disgraceful the way they literally drive him out of the water for tourists, if you don’t see the dolphin you don’t have to pay. It sickened me the last time I went out on the boat to the point I’d never do it again. For his sake, I hope he is gone for good.
@Colin McNamara: nope…bottle nose make dolphins can live to up to 50…fungi is 37, bit to go yet ..
@Damien Leen: Hes been in the harbour for 37 years. Hes older than that.
Something fishy going on. The dolphins see humans are weak right now.
@RogerRamjet: maybe it’ll be like the Simpsons and they will come and take over the country
@RogerRamjet: Simpson’s prediction coming through again
@scwazrh: I hear Mehoole is their leader. He is after all always blowing craap through his blow hole.
Bit sad all the cynics in here. It’s incredibly rare to find solitary dolphins that stay in one spot for so long, let alone ones as large as funghi. It would be almost impossible to replace him reliably AND keep that shtum.
Dustin the turkey goes missing every year but always makes an appearance around Christmas.
So basically,the dolphin took a day off?
@michael murray: Well, yeah, but as he hadn’t left his expected return time with the harbour master before heading out to sea, the alarm was raised … in all the newspapers that Fungie usually reads …
The Gravy train for Dingle is gone
My Missus went away on holiday just as I started to build my patio…
He was about to blow the lid on the Healy-Raes and now sleeps with the fishes.
Fungi was cocooning with his age he needs to be careful with all his social contacts.
I’d say they were more worried about the Dollars than Fergie
@pat seery: I don’t think any of us are too concerned about Fergie.
@pat seery: it’s euros not dollars
Maybe he went looking for a pub that was open
Anyone notify Ace Ventura Pet Detective?
@John Hayes: nobody is missing a porpoise. It’s a dolphin that’s been taken. The common harbor porpoise has an abrupt snout, pointed teeth and a triangular thoracic fin. While the bottlenose dolphin, or Tursiops truncates, has an elongated beak, round cone shaped teeth and a serrated dorsal appendage. But I’m sure you already knew that. That’s what turns me on about ‘cha, your attention to detail.
@Sean: alrighty then……
How many Fungie’s we upto now
@Sean: in fairness I think it is still him. Dolphins are social animals and swim in schools. Iv spent a lot of time in the West and would always see them in schools never on their own. The fact that on Dingle there is always this one dolphin would lead me to believe it is the same dolphin and it not ah well…. Let us believe
@Sean: I’d say but I don’t think u can count pass 1 so let’s just forget about it eh…
… dolphin steaks , tasty
I wouldn’t mind if this was the official end of Fungie and another dolphin took up the moniker officially, At least then it can keep on going unless theres some lazarus pits in Dingle harbour that keep you alive forever.
Maybe he went on an amorous tryst.
Cue frantic searching on the dark web version of Done Deal by clever Kerry boat men: wanted another half tamed cash cow dolphin.
He probably has a pain in his blow hole hearing about coronavirus
Fungie is passed years ago. Sorry guys…
This is an emotional rollercoaster
The cheek of him, dying of old age
Only took them two days to replace him?
He has just got out of dodge before lockdown.
He’s getting out before lockdown
Old Fungi made a lot of people happy. One of the most positive stories of late 20th and early 21st century Ireland.
He is only self isolating sure with all those migrating whales around
Maybe he is self isolating after contracting Dolvid19
Is that the same fungus I saw yesterday
so long and thanks for all the fish?
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