An adult beaked whale and her calf live stranded near Camp, Co. Kerry, on the evening of 28 September. A walker first spotted them alive at the shoreline near high tide and raised the alert locally. People from the community came together and tried to help the whales back into the water, but sadly both died a short time later. IWDG was also alerted through its emergency hotline. We are very grateful to the O’Sheas, O’Driscolls, Britta and everyone who came to their aid and contacted IWDG.
Beaked whales spend their lives in deep water around the continental shelf and further offshore, diving to depths of 1,000–2,000 metres in search of food. The shallow waters of Tralee Bay are far from their usual feeding habitat. Both animals appeared to be in good body condition, and at this time we do not know why they stranded.
Photo by Sean O’Driscoll
A yellow weather warning meant an on-site post-mortem examination of the nearly five-metre adult was not possible. An IWDG team reached the animal at first light, and took samples which were brought to the Cork Regional Veterinary Laboratory where the ears were perfused and preserved for examination. There is a small window after death in order to examine the ears to determine if the animals suffered acoustic trauma. IWDG is aware of the recent UK and US naval exercises Atlantic Thunder 2026, but no connection with this stranding has been established. The calf which had washed out to sea shortly after the event, was located during an IWDG search the following day, but unfortunately it was again taken by the stormy seas before it could be recovered for post mortem in Cork Regional Veterinary Lab.
If you find a live stranded whale or dolphin, call IWDG’s emergency hotline on 097 28118 immediately. The hotline will ask you to send a video of the animal and a Google Maps pin or GPS location via a provided WhatsApp number. Volunteer responders around the Irish coast are trained to assess stranded animals and, where appropriate, coordinate a careful refloat using IWDG rescue equipment positioned around the coast. Never drag an animal by its tail or fins, as this can cause injury and distress. Some animals are too unwell to be refloated, and the physical stress of stranding can be fatal despite everyone’s best efforts. But with a calm, coordinated response, some animals can be given a second chance.
If you come across a dead whale or dolphin, please report it to IWDG as soon as possible at report.iwdg.ie as a stranding, and include photographs of the animal, as this contributes to a 30+ year dataset.
We are deeply grateful to the IWDG responders and local communities who give their time to help stranded animals around Ireland each month. We also thank the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) for its continued support of the IWDG Stranding Scheme, as well as our Deep Diving and Rare Species Investigation Programs (DDRIP), and to local county councils for their continued assistance with recoveries and logistics.