The female Orca which died in Cork Harbour on the 8th of July, died as the result of an infection in her lower jaw. When examined, the animal was found to have a severe infection with abcesses in the lower jaw. Death was as a result of blood poisoning resulting from this infection.
The skull of the dead Orca was retrieved by the Zoology Department in UCC. It was transported to Dublin and is currently being prepared by technicans in the Zoology Department in UCD and will be deposited in the Natural History Museum when finished.
Although the media has lost interest in this story, at time of writing (1st August 2001), the 2 remaining whales were still in the harbour, and the Cobh area out towards Whitegate oil refinery should be the focus of any search. It is almost 2 months now since they were first seen by Roches Point.