THREE RARE WHALES ARE WASHED UP OFF THE COAST IN A WEEK
CAUSE OF DEATH LIKELY TO BE MILITARY ACTIVITY SAYS ENVIRONMENTALIST
Three rare whales have washed up dead on the Sligo coast in the past week.
The first at Trawalua Strand near Cliffoney was found on August 7 th; a second was spotted on the sand near Coney Island on the 8th that was relocated a day later at Cummeen Strand and the third was seen floating ashore at Lislary on the 9 th.
They were examined by Dr Don Cotton, retired ‘emeritus lecturer’ of the Sligo Institute of Technology who said this was an exceptional event that required explanation.
Dr Cotton told The Sligo Champion that a further seven similar whales had been found in recent days along the Donegal, Mayo and Galway coastlines and that there could be even more whales not yet found or reported.
All of these animals are ‘ beaked whales’ that normally live in the deeper waters beyond the continental shelf.
From their poor state of preservation they must have died about a month ago and probably 100-200 km off the Irish coast before being carried ashore by ocean currents, he said.
Very little is known about these rare whales other than what we learn when they wash up dead.
In a normal year only two or three are found along the entire Irish coastline.
Dr Cotton has identified the species involved, one of which is a very rare True’s Beaked Whale, also known as the Miraculous Beaked Whale, which has been seen alive by only a very few people.
He also has taken measurements, photographs and tissue samples for DNA analysis.
Whales and dolphins are important indicators of the health of our oceans so the sudden unexplained deaths of so many of these rare mammals is a major source of concern, said Dr Cotton.
In 1990 Don Cotton was a founder of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, a charity which was set up to gather data and monitor these animals because problems were identified at that time with their conservation.
Irish waters are now a sanctuary for whales and dolphins but we don’t seem to be doing more than documenting their demise, said Mr Cotton.
The most likely cause of this incident may be connected with military activity beyond our territorial waters, he said.
“In other parts of the world similar deaths have been linked to the use of powerful sonar used to detect submarines, or explosions that send shock waves through the water, that damage the sensitive hearing organs of these whales and effectively destroy their ability to find food.
“It is unlikely that any navy will ever admit to having carried out such exercises in this instance,” said the retired scientist.