Featured Photo: Mark Daly, Orca Ireland
Marine Mammal Responders are in Donegal today investigating the stranding of a dead whale.
The body of a sperm whale washed up at Malin Head yesterday during Storm Dudley.
The stranding was reported to the Orca Ireland Observers App.
Warning‼️⚠️ dead stranded sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) confirmed stranded by @ORCA_Ireland Marine Mammal Stranding Responders at Malin Head. Thanks to Mary Rogers for the report yesterday @rtenews @breakingnewsie @IrishTimes #StormDudley #StormEunice #Strandings pic.twitter.com/Sptll50CkB
— Observers App (@ObserversApp) February 17, 2022
Video credit: Shannon Engravings
The cause of death remains unknown.
Emer Keaveney- ORCA Ireland Marine Mammal Ecologist told Donegal Daily, “This is very concerning with recent Russian military in the area – sperm whales are deep diving species that are sensitive to noise pollution from military sonar.
“Ideally we need to conduct a necropsy on the whale to further investigate its cause of death but acute trauma from noise pollution cannot be ruled out.”
Coastal conditions continue to be treacherous this week due to the back-to-back storms Dudley and Eunice lashing Ireland and the UK.
The RNLI in Donegal has urged the public to be careful at the coast, to stay back and avoid taking unnecessary risks at exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers.
