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The beached fin whale, pictured off Ballinclamper beach, Co Waterford yesterday. Andrew Malcolm

Public urged to 'keep clear' of beached 20-metre fin whale washed ashore on Waterford beach

A spokesperson for the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group said the whale had likely been dead for at least a week before it washed ashore yesterday.

THE PUBLIC HAVE been advised to stay clear of a whale carcass which washed ashore near Dungarvan, Co Waterford yesterday.

The roughly 20-metre-long fin whale was discovered by locals at Ballinclamper Beach, with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and Waterford County Council called in to investigate.

According to the IWDG, a charity organisation that campaign for the safety of whales and dolphins, the fin whale was an adult, and was likely dead “1 to 2 weeks before coming ashore”.

“Fin whale strandings are not out of the ordinary, and we do expect to get one or two of them stranded per year,” IWDG volunteer Stephanie Levesque said in a post online.

Levesque added that the pending storm Eowyn later this week “may take the carcass back out to sea”, but if it remains , the responsibility for its disposal will rest with Waterford County Council.

“The council are aware of the animal, although according to our volunteers, access is very difficult for machinery to attempt to bury it,” Levesque said.

In a statement to The Journal, Waterford County Council said that their role in situations such as this includes the removal and 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 carcass.

Levesque added that due to the deterioration of the beached fin whale, the cause of death in not yet known.

“From the images we have received, and the level of decomposition, a cause of death can’t be determined at this time,” Levesque said.

Both the IWDG and Waterford County Council have “strongly advised” the public, and pets, to keep their distance from the animal for health and safety reasons.

Whale sightings

According to the IWDG, a number of fin whales sightings have been reported in recent weeks, with the gentle giants spotted feeding on herring and sprat along the east Cork and Waterford coastlines.

“It is not that unusual when whales are present in numbers, that we should also receive stranding reports,” Levesque said.

Up to 10 fin whales were recently spotted off Helvick, a fishing pier near Dungarvan on 3 January.

“They seem to be particularly mobile this year, with animals being encountered anywhere between Mine Head and Hook Head,” Levesque explained.

Those hoping to spot the majestic sea creatures are advised to head to the southern coastal waters, where fin whales are most commonly sighted.

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