A Sowerby’s beaked whale — of a marine wildlife species rarely sighted in Irish waters — has died after getting into distress in Wicklow Harbour, as The Irish Times reports.
According to the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), the male whale stranded near Wicklow Sailing Club after losing its bearings yesterday morning, Saturday 4 July.
Sowerby’s beaked whales are one of four out of 22 beaked whale species known to be in Irish waters. They normally inhabit deep waters below 200 metres in the North Atlantic, and are rarely seen by humans.
“From the outset it appeared to be in poor health, appearing disorientated and having difficulty moving. Therefore, it would not have been a candidate for refloating,” the IWDG said in a statement on Facebook.
“Euthanasia is also extremely difficult in these circumstances due to the large size of the animal as well as public safety concerns.”
The whale will be recovered for a full post-mortem to try and “to find out more about the life of these rare and enigmatic whales”, said IWDG chief executive Dr Simon Berrow.
Ten months ago a Sowerby’s beaked whale stranded on a beach near Helvick Head in Co Waterford. While it was refloated twice by local lifeboat volunteers, it was thought unlikely to survive.