The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) said a dead fin whale which washed up on a West Waterford beach last week is likely to have been dead for up to two weeks before coming ashore.
A spokesperson for IWDG said they were “reasonably confident that this animal is an adult fin whale”. It washed ashore near rocks between Ballinard Beach and Ballinclamper Beach, near Clonea Strand, Dungarvan.
“Fin whale strandings are not out of the ordinary, and we do expect to get one or two of them stranded per year,” said the IWDG spokesperson.
On 20 January, last, IWDG volunteers, Andrew Malcolm and Ann Trimble alerted the IWDG to the presence of the dead whale, which measures in the region of 20 metres in length.
A spokesperson for Waterford City and County Council told The Munster Express: “Waterford City and County Council does not have any role in investigating the cause of death of the whale”.
“The Council’s role in situations such as this is the removal / burial of any dead marine life such as dolphins, whales and seals that wash up on our public beaches and to arrange for the safe disposal of the carcasses.”
Waterford City and County Council advised that members of the public report any incidents of large dead marine life to the council.
SHEER SIZE OF WHALE AND ACCESS DIFFICULTIES
The responsibility for disposal of the carcass rests with Waterford City and County Council, but the sheer size and weight of the whale and where it has come ashore would prove difficult for any machinery to access and attempt to bury it.
It is hoped that the pending storm ‘Eowyn’ this coming Friday will take the carcass back out to sea.
NO SAMPLES
IWDG said they have a network of volunteers around the country who visit stranded cetaceans to collect various data, including images, measurements, and skin samples for the Irish Cetacean Genetic Tissue Bank.
Due to the lack of skin on the carcass at Ballinclamper, no sample was collected.
The spokesperson said that from the images received, and significant level of decomposition, a cause of death cannot be determined at this time.
PEOPLE ADVISED TO KEEP THEIR DISTANCE
The IWDG strongly advised everyone, and pets, to keep their distance from the animal for health and safety reasons. This advice was reiterated by Waterford City and County Council.
However, despite this advice, the whale carcass attracted lots of curious sight-seers and onlookers over the past week.
FIN WHALES SIGHTED
In recent weeks, fin whales have been reported to IWDG on numerous occasions feeding on herring and sprat along the east Cork and Waterford coast.
“So, it is not that unusual when whales are present in numbers, that we should also receive stranding reports,” the IWDG spokesperson said.
“If you are fortunate enough to spot a fin whale at sea (or stranded) please report your sighting to IWDG on www.iwdg.ie or the IWDG Reporting App. Your reports are critical in helping us better understand these magnificent mammals and how they use Irish waters,” the spokesperson added.
Photograph: The washed-up dead fin whale on rocks between Ballinard Beach and Ballinclamper Beach, near Clonea Strand, Dungarvan. Photo: John Foley Images
