HOARDS OF whale watchers have been descending on Hook Head over the past week hoping to catch a glimpse of 'Bingo' – the newest humpback to arrive in Irish seas.

Hundreds of people have been travelling to an otherwise quiet Hook Head since 'Bingo' was sighted last Sunday.

The Hook Lighthouse Visitor Centre has seen a massive increase in visitors, with over 120 people passing through its doors last Wednesday alone.

'For this time of year it has been very busy. There has been a lot of activity around here. This is the time of year when we paint and decorate and there are people down here every few minutes at the moment,' said Ann Waters, manager of the Hook Lighthouse.

'We sold 122 coffees and teas on Wednesday compared to this time last year when we had just 28 people in the Visitor Centre,' she said.

Whale watchers, some of whom are travelling down from Dublin and other parts of Ireland, have been gathering along the headlands at the Hook hoping to see 'Bingo' breach the waters in the same spectacular style he did on Sunday.

'There is excitement among people who are looking for Bingo. From Saturday to Monday he was less than half a mile off shore and he was putting on a great show, since then, even though the whales are there now, it is only the more avid lookers who find them.'

'It is a good spin off for us and it should be great for angling boats for this time of the year.'

Right: Ann Waters.